Oriel Pickleball Dundalk welcoming new members

Oriel Pickleball Club started in the Dundalk Sports Centre just over a year ago, and with its uptake in the town going from strength to strength, the club says it is eager to welcome new members who would like to give the sport a try

Pickleball is a combination of tennis, table tennis and badminton, played on a badminton sized court with a tennis height net, using a flat padel or racquet with a plastic perforated ball. In entails two people playing as singles, or four as doubles, hitting the ball over the net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.

Pickleball is played indoors and outdoors and was invented in 1965 as a children's backyard game in the United States, on Bainbridge Island in Washington state. 

Oriel Pickleball Dundalk started with just a hand full of players, but it has gone from strength to strength, as it is seen as both enjoyable and manageable for most people to get a game going, not as strenuous as some sports, and very sociable. 

^{Above: Oriel Pickleball Club members}

Oriel players have competed in competitions and festivals in Ireland, Spain, Poland, Holland Hungary, U.S.A. and Belgium. The club plays indoor at present, but the club adds that with courts being refurbished at Dundalk Sports Centre, the sport should be available outdoor also.

They say that they are always open to new players over the age of 18, and every week there are new people arriving to try it out. For more information on the club, see their Facebook page here.