PickleballSOUTH AFRICA
ORGANIC GROWTH ! STEP BY STEP , DINK BY DINK .
One of our pickleball buddies passed me a message recently . A tennis pro noticed we have an “ inclusive ” group of players , and that we are building another pickleball court . He admired our “ freedom ” and asked if he could bring players from his town ( described as still having “ too much apartheid ,” with rules that often block black players from accessing tennis courts ) to learn the game . Perhaps pickleball might be the answer ? A demonstration day was immediately organized to teach them .
Memel . Global built the first dedicated pickleball court in South Africa , on private land donated by Drakensberg Club residential cohousing community . Pickleball is growing in South Africa ! But , let ’ s face it , pickleball won ’ t grow quickly in Africa without help from Americans . We ’ ve been working on that , and can use your help .
Pule Setai , Chief Director , National Treasury of South Africa .
Two Vermont picklers have now pledged to raise money to build courts in a public area of Memel . Bill Kingston is the most successful high school tennis coach in the history of the sport , and Tracie Hotchner is an author and founder of the NY Cat and Dog Film Festivals in Manhattan . When Bill graduated from Princeton , he joined the third year of JFK ’ s American “ Peace Corps ,” and witnessed the community interest and excitement when he introduced basketball to Tunisia , seeing benefits from townsfolk working together and supporting one another .
We are also building a practice area at Memel Primary School , the first school to include pickleball in the official curriculum . That attracted the attention of a recently opened private Christian school , which desires a pickleball facility as well . They are excited and have done their own fundraising for the project . We are honored to partner with them !
Pickleball will ultimately be an Olympic sport , and we want our tiny rural area to provide the “ Jamaican bobsled team ” when that day comes .
It wasn ’ t in our plan , but opportunities arise . Media coverage of our launch earlier this year informed millions of South Africans about pickleball . We ’ ve been asked to go to the city !
By Steven Ablondi & Cindy Burns
Memel pickleball : focus and determination .
Pule Setai , chief director of National Treasury and chairman of Drakensberg Club , says , “ My portfolio is infrastructure . I think all day about spatial planning — where white people live and work , compared to black people ; the effect of legacy wealth ; possibilities for change based on investment . Such challenges are discussed with institutions like the European Union and World Bank . What Steven Ablondi and Memel . Global have accomplished is remarkable — introducing pickleball to South Africa on both ends of the wealth spectrum . Memel is the poorest town in a poor province , a place where innovations come late , if ever . Yet , that is where they introduced pickleball , and it is expanding . New York City lags in places to play pickleball , constrained by real estate prices . Steven , via Drakensberg Club , is introducing the sport in Sandton , the most affluent suburb in Johannesburg , and the richest square mile in Africa .” The sky is the limit . Plans are in place . •