Daniel Lim
In a scene dominated by football, basketball, and tennis, a seemingly unassuming sport called pickleball has quietly been making waves in the Sultanate.
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
Despite being relatively unknown to the public here, pickleball has been resonating across the nation, drawing players of all ages and skill levels to its courts.
Pickleball traces its roots back to the summer of 1965 when Joel Pritchard, a United States (US) Congressman, and his friend Bill Bell decided to create a new game to entertain their families. In an attempt to set up a badminton game, they found themselves without proper equipment which led to improvisation using ping pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
The result was a fast-paced and exciting game that became an instant hit.
This unique quirk of pickleball was what intrigued Layla binti Abdullah. Driven by her passion for the sport, she formed the PIckleball Brunei group and hosted a number of workshops for the curious.
“I started playing tennis, golf and badminton before the start of COVID-19. But because of the global pandemic, I was not able to train and play these sports,” she told the Bulletin.
She said that when the world started to shift towards living with COVID-19, she tried to get back into tennis. “As tennis was quite a popular sport, everyone had the same idea, which resulted in difficulties in booking courts.”
So she played badminton instead, where a friend recommended pickleball to her.
“I could not hit a single ball in my first game of pickleball,” she recalled, “But when I started delving into the sport, I discovered how easy it was to pick up and play.”
The rules were easy to understand, and skills picked up from tennis, badminton and ping-pong can be easily transferred to pickleball, she said.
Layla picked up the sport last year and has since received a Pickleball Ambassador certificate from Pickleball Scotland.
She hopes to further develop this into an advance instructor certification, and further promote the sport in the country.
“Having gained my certification, Pickleball Scotland has provided a number of paddles and balls to help promote the sport, especially to those who do not necessarily have the equipment,” she said.
She said that it was fortunate to have many picklers, a nickname for pickleball enthusiasts, in the country as well as support from the Malaysia Pickleball Association and the Sarawak Pickleball Association.
Among those who have expressed interest in pickleball is 55-year-old Hajah Norbayah binti Haji Shahminan, who first learnt about pickleball at one of Layla’s workshops.
“When I read that pickleball is suitable for all ages, I brought along my grandson and family to join,” she said. Having played, Hajah Norbayah said the game is quite relaxing and enjoyable.
“You don’t have to use so much energy, but at the same time, you also have to remain focussed.
“It is also inspiring that some coaches and players who are actively playing are the same age as us. This encourages us to try out the sport.”
“I hope that the sport will gain more attention in Brunei. I also want to play pickleball well into my senior years as it is a good way to stay healthy,” she added.
Meanwhile, Layla hopes that those who enjoy pickleball will help to spread the word.
“I am also hoping to introduce pickleball in schools and host public pickleball events to reach out to communities in various parts of the country. Our aim is to generate as much awareness and interest as possible to make pickleball popular in Brunei and help communities discover this fun and easy-to-learn sport.
“It is a good way to maintain a healthy active lifestyle and who knows where it will go from there?
“Hopefully one day, we will have a team in international tournaments, Insya Allah.”
