What do tennis, badminton and table tennis have in common? They are all somewhat relevant to pickleball.
Pickleball is played on a court the size of a badminton court, has a tennis net across the middle and the racket is the same shape as the one used in table tennis.
It may not be the most common sport but there are pickleball clubs in Howald, Elvange, Steinsel, Colmar-Berg and Feulen.
The largest club meets at Tennis Club Howald, and Benoit Quisquater set it up and today there are around 70 members of all ages – from 12 to 71 years – and nationalities.
“We started to play in 2022 and since then, 2,500 people have tried the sport in various events,” Quisquater said. “This sport attracts a large part of expats but also Luxembourg citizens. We are looking for new players and also for people who would like to create their own club anywhere in the country.”
Last year, teams gathered for the first Luxembourg International Pickleball Open © Photo credit: Pickleball Luxembourg
Pickleball was created in the US almost 60 years ago and it is possible to play single or double matches, with two or four players respectively. It is an easy sport to learn but difficult to master, Quisquater said.
Last year, teams gathered for the first Luxembourg International Pickleball Open, which saw 135 players of 14 different nationalities go head to head. The national team will travel to its first European Pickleball Championship, held in the UK, this month.
The local Luxembourg clubs include players of all levels and there are sessions at one of the clubs on each day of the week.
Prices to become a member start at around €10 per month for youths and €20 per month for adults. For more information or to join the club click here.
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