Pickleball bringing old and new together

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This article was published 10/03/2017 (3329 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Pickleball players in southeast Winnipeg will soon be holding court at a landmark Hindu temple.

In the late spring, the Dr. Raj Pandey Hindu Centre, located at 999 St. Anne’s Rd., will open the doors of its gym to pickleball players for the first time, according to St. Vital councillor Brian Mayes.

Pickleball is a racquet game using a badminton-sized court with a tennis-level net, oversized ping pong-style paddle and a hard plastic wiffle ball, which is increasing in popularity in Winnipeg, especially among seniors, Mayes said.

The tentative plan is for the temple’s gym to be available for a weekly morning pickleball session, starting in May.

Mayes said the idea came about last year when he met with players of the sport in the St. Vital area to discuss expanding pickleball locations to increase the amount of available indoor court space and complement existing locations, such as Glenwood Community Centre and Norberry-Glenlee Community Centre.

Mayes has agreed to cover the costs of a one-year trial period and he hopes there will be interest from local seniors and visitors to the temple. While it accommodates badminton and other activities, the gym isn’t currently being used to its full capacity, so it made sense to Mayes to explore its viability.

 
Noting his gratitude to the Hindu Society of Manitoba executive committee for its support of the idea, Mayes said funding for the trial period will either come from his ward allowance or a capital grant.

“The Hindu Society has been very accommodating,” Mayes said. “This is a case of the old and new coming together, as the popularity of pickleball continues to increase among some of the older sections of the community.”

“I think this a wonderful symbol of the old St. Vital coming together with the new St. Vital. A lot of pickleball players are seniors who have lived in St. Vital for decades. It’s great to connect them with the relatively new Hindu temple.”

Pickleball players tested out the courts on Feb. 24, and convinced Sundeep Sharma, who was worshipping in the temple at the time, to pick up a racquet and join in the session.

Mayes said details about the weekly sessions will be confirmed soon. Bryan Mackenzie, who is heavily involved with pickleball in Manitoba, has been a key figure in the organization of the project.  

 
Email bbmackenzie@mymts.net for more information about the sessions.

Go online at www.pickleballmanitoba.ca for more about the organization.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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