Uganda Pickleball Association to stage first Uganda Open after Moore's visit

The Uganda Pickleball Association will hold its first major competition in February next year after getting a morale-boosting visit from US-based Jon Moore of the Pickleball Trips enterprise.

Moore who has been in the country for about a week came after he was contacted by the association to come and promote the sport and also find ways for how his company can help Ugandans how to acquire more equipment to help in the spread and development of the sport in the country.

On Saturday, he met a group of enthusiastic players and coaches at the American Centre in Kampala where he briefed them about the origins of the sport and how it is played, and what they can do.  

Jon Moore addresses Pickleball enthuthiasts and officials of the Uganda Pickleball Association at the American Center, September 30, 2022. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“My brother and I run a company called Pickleball trips and after Faisal Banja contacted me, I was a little bit surprised because I could believe that the game is played down in Uganda but since I had travelled to Europe, I decided to come to try to spread the sport throughout the country,” Moore said.

According to the general secretary of the UPA Faisal Banja, between now and the Uganda Open the association is going to continue promoting the sport and establishing strong teams that will compete in the Uganda Open but there is a lack of equipment to which Moore has promised to help.

“My brother and my dad are well-known Pickleball players and they are well connected so I can get equipment and things like that for pretty good deals but I think the biggest challenge is going to be shipping them here.

Jon Moore (4th left) poses with Pickleball enthuthiasts and officials of the Uganda Pickleball Association at the American Centre

“I brought as much as I could on this trip but hopefully, I can interest more people to come here, and hopefully they can carry more equipment with them as they come to visit Uganda. I’m also connected with all the international organizations like Pickleball England that purchased the nets and balls that I brought because we try to support each other; there will be more people coming in with supplies,” Moore, a former tennis player, stated. He said it could be introduced as an Olympic sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Banja says there are several clubs involved with the sport in the country including at Kikaaya (2), Namboole (4), and Kamengo and it is also played in schools in Lugazi, Kamengo, Kyambogo, and Kikaaya colleges.

The sport was introduced in the country a few years ago by Robert Bakaze who is also behind the introduction of several other sports from the US.

Pickleball is a paddleball sport that combines elements of badminton, table tennis, and tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, much like a wiffle ball with 26-40 round holes.

The five rules of Pickleball are that the ball must stay in bounds, there should be one bounce per side, serving must be done at the baseline, the server can't land in the no volley zone and the game ends at 11, 15, or 21 points.

A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20×44 feet. In pickleball, the same court is used for both singles and doubles play. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. The court is striped similar to a tennis court with right and left service courts and a 7-foot non-volley zone in front of the net (referred to as the “kitchen”). Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or they can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts.