Pickleball Magazine 2-6 | Page 65

The Bainbridge Cup , an event created by the International Federation of Pickleball ( IFP ), is the sport ’ s first intercontinental team competition . The inaugural event was hosted by the Spanish Pickleball Association in Madrid , Spain , on September 15 . “ Nearly 300 players from 20 countries took part . Seeing all of the different countries ’ flags waving overhead at the venue is really emotional ,” said a jubilant Alice Tym , who is both an IFP director and a captain of Team North America . “ The Cup ’ s international team format puts pickleball on a global stage ,” she explained . “ It ’ s the World Cup of pickleball and we ’ re really grateful to the many sponsors who are partnering with the IFP to help expand pickleball globally .”
How the Bainbridge Cup Competition Works
The Bainbridge Cup , named after Bainbridge Island to honor the founders and birthplace of pickleball , is an intercontinental team competition . This year ’ s event featured Team North America versus Team Europe , and future Cup competitions will expand to include more continents . “ The philosophy of the Cup is consistent with the philosophy of pickleball ,” explained Team Europe captain Ian Medhurst ,
“ because everyone is welcome to participate , from elite to amateur levels .” Both teams included some of the world ’ s best players as well as 3.0 level players , “ and the atmosphere was fantastic ,” added Ian . “ The chance to be on a team alongside some of the world ’ s best players , and to play for a ‘ team victory ’ ( the Cup ) rather than an individual medal creates a unique camaraderie . We were all cheering on our teammates and watching as points were added to the team scoreboard throughout the day .”
This year ’ s event was played on outdoor courts in Madrid , Spain , with teams of different age and skill levels facing off in men ’ s , women ’ s and mixed doubles . The final score was 200 to 102 with Team North America coming out on top . “ Every match victory is worth 1 point for your team ,” explained Gema Garcia , captain for Team Europe , “ and a player ’ s final match is a bonus match worth 2 points .” She added , “ It was an honor for us ( the Spanish Pickleball Association ) to host the inaugural Cup and to combine it with the Spanish Open Championships to create a mega-pickleball event . Team North America was definitely better this year , but we ’ re ( Europeans ) already looking forward to next year ’ s Cup . This rivalry has only just begun .”
Although the location of the next Bainbridge Cup has not yet been determined , what is certain is that over the next year the Cup will reside in North America with the victors who are looking forward to defending their title of Bainbridge Cup Champions . “ The Cup will be very well taken care of ,” gleamed Jennifer Lucore , member of Team North America , who added , “ we ’ re proud to give it a home .” Upon hearing Jennifer ’ s statement , Team Europe ’ s Irina Tereschenko smiled , and in a show of good sportsmanship stated , “ Congratulations to Team North America ,” but soon added , “ Enjoy it while you can , because Europe is improving fast and we plan to engrave our names on the Cup before long .” Given the growth of pickleball worldwide , the stage is set for Bainbridge Cup competitions for years to come . •
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2017 | MAGAZINE 63