Bhanu Baweja enjoyed a day to remember after scooping gold at the 2024 Skechers English Nationals in Bolton.
Hampstead’s Baweja won gold in the Mens Doubles 3.5 50+ final alongside Dan Penn in what was a brilliant showcase of the best of English pickleball.
And his gold medal will not be the only thing shining brightly with Baweja soon to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights with friends and family back home.
“I’m still new to the sport and want to climb in the higher categories but winning feels fantastic,” said Baweja. “It’s a little problematic because I also have to be running back!
“My wife was also playing today and as soon as she finished she just deserted me and fled home and didn’t worry about my final which of course is what she should do!
“I’m afraid I’m not going to make it in time for the festival but this is festive enough isn’t it?”
Pickleball is a racket sport which sees players compete using paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
The sport is played indoors and outdoors, and was invented in 1965 as a children’s backyard game in the United States but is a fast-growing sport for all ages across England
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.
He added: “I’ve played different sports and since I’ve been part of the pickleball community in the last six months, I’ve found people are more respectful, people are nicer and there’s just something about the sport.
“Maybe it’s because it’s more accessible, maybe because it’s not very expensive and the bar to entry is not very high in terms of where you need to be so it’s accessible to all strata.
“You get a lot of people coming so it’s a good mix of people and that’s why you keep coming back and go to different festivals and tournaments.
“Because it’s so accessible to everyone, it’s much more diverse than tennis is. It’s open to all ages and all financial backgrounds and it’s more diverse than most sports I’ve seen.
“I think this should be recommended by the NHS because it’s not just your physical health but your mental health that’s getting a boost.
“We enjoy being part of a community, we enjoy our friends watching us play and watching them play and all of that is what pickleball gives you.
“It really is medicine for the body and for the mind.”
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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