Nine Countries from the Continent of Africa Compete in the first-ever Pickleball Tournament with Officiating by the Global Pickleball Federation
ACCRA, Ghana (March 26, 2024) – When it comes to the expansion of pickleball across the globe, Africa has been “a sleeping giant”. While a handful of pickleball clubs could be found in metropolitan areas, the majority of African nations have lagged far behind, due to the absence of governance, trainers and equipment. With the recent conclusion of the renowned 13th African Games, the Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP) and Global Pickleball Federation (GPF), changed that dynamic, achieving a new milestone in their collective mission to grow pickleball as a competitive sport across all of Africa.
Currently representing approximately 95 percent of pickleball (players rather than members?) members around the world, the GPF collaborates with the Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP) and their member countries to unify and advance pickleball on a global level. The participation of nine African countries in the Pickleball Tournament at the 13th African Games is an important step toward advancing pickleball’s visibility and growth across Africa.
Seizing the Opportunity
The CAP was founded in August 2023 by a group of pickleball enthusiasts across Africa, led by President Dr. Kwabena Akufo, founder of the Ghana Pickleball Association and a resident of Accra. He quickly campaigned for pickleball’s inclusion as a demonstration sport in the impending African Games in March 2024.
The games were founded in 1965, coincidentally the same year pickleball was founded. If Dr. Akufo hadn’t seized the opportunity to showcase pickleball’s African athletes alongside the game’s 28 other sports, pickleball would not have been able to make a debut until 2027. Due to the brief timeline without backing from sports ministries in each respective country, responsibility fell on each individual country to raise travel and lodging funds to send a team of four (two men and two women) to the African Games.
A total of nine CAP member countries competed in Accra in March 2024 --- Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
Overcoming Obstacles for the Love of the Game
Many of the trailblazers who attended Africa’s first intercontinental pickleball competition surmounted incredible obstacles in their quest to compete at the games. Due to travel costs, four of the nine nations were only able to send a team of three: two men and one woman.
Sierra Leone’s dedicated team captain Jeremiah Pratt sold a plot of land bequeathed to him by his grandmother, so his team could afford transportation to attend “Africa’s Olympics”. During their four-day journey via bus, they became stranded in Liberia, due to unforeseen travel costs. That delay caused them to miss their first match, but they remained undeterred. “Pickleball is part of us, my family and we are a part of pickleball,” Pratt said.
The team from D.R. Congo received last minute funding for three flights from Kinshasa to Accra, thanks to a group of pickleball advocates and pro players 8,000 miles away in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sight unseen, this caring group heard about D.R. Congo’s plight, formed a non-profit named the Good Sport Foundation, and launched a fundraiser in just two weeks, attended by three directors of the GPF.
The Benin team arrived on the courts with makeshift plywood paddles, which were quickly switched out for donated paddles delivered from the U.S. by Ron Ponder, GPF Director of Officiating.
Over the week of competition, Kenya’s team from Nairobi Pickleball Club won three gold medals
In Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Women’s Singles while Egypt clinched gold in Mixed Doubles and Men’s Singles. Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa also took Silver and Bronze medals. A full list of African Games pickleball team medalists is available upon request.
“It has always been the goal of CAP to provide the resources necessary for each of its member countries to spread pickleball on the African continent at the grassroots level. This alignment with GPF allows CAP to accomplish this goal and make pickleball a people’s sport, with the addition of international resources to support the first-ever pickleball tournament at the African Games,” Dr. Kwabena Akufo said.
The vision of Dr. Kwabena Akufo and Tournament Director Babatunde Epoyun, was assisted by Mission of Love, Lumuro Foundation for Creative Arts and Tourism, Rally Sports and Jibu Ghana water company who provided funding to create the venue at the University of Ghana and week-long competition events. Selkirk Sports contributed pickleball paddles and equipment for the awards ceremony.
