Michael Todd had a day to remember after scooping silver at the 2024 Skechers English Nationals in Bolton.
Partnered with Keith Jones, Aldershot’s Todd finished runner-up in the Men’s Doubles 3.5+ 70+, missing out on gold to Ian Cooke and Barry Chapman.
And while it may not gleam gold, Todd’s silver medal proved welcome companion for the long journey back home to Hampshire.
“We’ve had a good day. I won a silver in the Men’s Doubles 70+ so we’ve had a good weekend.
“We got well-beaten in the final but they were very good players so we can’t complain!
“We have a five-hour trip home ahead of us but it’s been great. I’m pleased.”
Pickleball is a racket sport which sees players compete using paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
The sport gets its name from its American founders, with the family game created in 1965 and named after their pet dog Pickle.
Played indoors and outdoors, it is a fast-growing sport across England and can be played by all ages and abilities, even on the same court.
Taking place from Thursday 31 October to Sunday 3 November at Bolton Arena, the English Nationals comprised four days of high-level competition, with a record number of 1,111 pickleball players competing in the North-west.
“I got introduced to it by a friend and once I played the first game it was great and for our age, it’s something we can still play.
“Runnymede’s the name of the club that we belong to which is in Surrey and I’ve been a member there for four or five years.
“As long as you can still move around a bit, it’s a great sport for older people and because of the age groups in the competitions, it works out very well.
“It’s something you can play indoors and you can play across all ages. There’re a lot of youngsters coming in and we can’t compete against the youngsters but we can compete against our age groups.
“That’s the main thing.”
Pickleball England has announced a record number of over 1,000 players competing at the 2024 Skechers English Nationals. The tournament takes place from the 31st October – 3rd November at Bolton Arena and is the second largest national pickleball event. For more information, visit www.pickleballengland.org
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