Around the World
JAMBO! WELCOME TO
KENYAN PICKLEBALL
I
By Alice Tym
n July 2019, Andrea Ideker and her two
granddaughters traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, to
attend the dedication of the new Perry Jayne Girls
Centre. This private school has an enrollment of
60 girls, 14 and 15 years old, who come from Koegocho, a
large slum in Nairobi.
Pastor Entricauls, who
established the school,
had visited Andrea in
Iowa and learned to play
pickleball.
Andrea asked the
500-member Quad Cities
Pickleball Club to provide
equipment and money
for the new school.
The club members
generously donated two
nets, 32 paddles, 125
balls, sports bags, medals, shirts and $550. The Baptist
pastor and Andrea were teaching the girls how to play
pickleball on two indoor courts in the cafeteria.
The school is located two-and-a-half hours from
Nairobi in Miwingie. Land is scarce near the capital so
Pastor Entricauls had to build the school outside of town.
“People in Kenya work very hard,” said Andrea. “There is
not a lot of time for fun things. These girls are like girls
everywhere. They want to laugh and play.”
She has good advice for anyone who wants to start a
program in a “third-world” country. “First, you have to be
careful you don’t come across as someone who has all the
answers. Second, you must establish a relationship with
someone who is trustworthy. It’s not enough to just take
nets and paddles,” she cautioned.
The Quad City club has been generous and is willing
to help sustain the program. Andrea plans to visit each
year but realizes pickleball is not a priority in a school
where the teachers make $200 a month. She is making a
difference and passing the torch to her granddaughters
one pickleball at a time. •
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SEVEN COUNTRIES JOIN
2019 INTERNATIONAL
PICKLEBALL NPRP
TOURNAMENT
T
his is the third year the Federation of Chinese
Taipei has hosted a major international
event. The World Pickleball Federation
(WPF) was a proud sponsor of what was an
extremely successful tournament in Taichung, Taiwan.
Chairman Lai said, “We are so happy that almost 300
players competed at the tournament. By supporting
this tournament, we not only practice our skills
against other outstanding players but also build strong
connections with other countries.” The tournament was
a well-organized event full of pageantry and great play at
the higher skill levels. Lai and the team of volunteers did
an outstanding job.
Pickleball has grown significantly throughout all of
Asia. The WPF has done a great job and has garnered
the support of city officials; many dignitaries were in
attendance. The players from Taiwan dominated by
winning most of the medals, including gold in the Men’s
Doubles Open with the defeat of Daniel Moore and
his partner Danny Yang, 16-14, in a comeback thriller.
Congratulations to Eddie Shen and Wayne Jiang on a
great victory. WPF plans on assisting a group of players
from Taiwan to experience higher levels of competition
in the U.S. in 2020. •