Teams from around the Caribbean marched into WER Joell Stadium last night during the opening ceremony at the Caribbean Pickleball Championship.

Players from Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda and Jamaica were welcomed by hundreds of spectators, with local dignitaries on hand to officially open the championships.

For George Thomas, president of Pickleball Association Bermuda, hosting this tournament is an ambition fulfilled.

“It’s great to finally see everybody here,” Thomas said. “It’s taken a great effort from people like Gavin Manders and the rest of the board of PAB to achieve this.

“I also give credit to a lot of the teams for coming so far. We’ve had a lot of weather delays and flights have been cancelled, but everyone's here and you can see the camaraderie and everyone getting into it.

“On a personal note it’s nice to see old friends and welcome them to our island but the aim really is to just lift up Pickleball across the region.

I'm hearing from a lot of people already and one of the guys that just won a medal from Antigua & Barbuda said he was thinking about coming here to retire.”

Minister of Sport Owen Darrell was on hand to officially open the championships and was delighted to welcome people from across the Caribbean.

“To see this come to life today with multiple nations here and such a large contingent of pickleball players from Bermuda, it shows that what the government has done to support this sport is a big deal for Bermudians,” Darrell said.

“Part of Bermuda's national sports plan was to get Bermuda more influential on the regional and international stage, so to be hosting this is a testament to that plan coming off.

“Everything represented here falls under my ministry. You’ve got the tourism component and you had to get these players around the island, which is the transport component. You've got the cultural component with the Gombeys being part of the opening ceremony and, of course, pickleball is a National Sport Governing Body.

“So we've got it all and when the Premier decided to put this ministry together, this is an example of exactly why.”

It was no surprise to see Manders among the gold medals on the opening day of the Rally on the Rock tournament after he won the men’s singles 5.0 by beating Josh Arnold, from Trinidad, in the final

After beating his opponent 15-4, the Bermudian spoke of his excitement at competing in front of a home crowd.

“I’m glad that I didn’t have to be out there very long because it's a long week for me,” he said.

“I’m truly blessed to still be out here playing singles because these guys are a lot younger than me, but we’ve got one gold in the highest division in the region and it’s on to tomorrow.”

Also among the gold medal winners on the first day of the Rally on the Rock was local tennis legend Wilfred Gonsalves, who won the over-60 men’s singles.

Looking about two decades younger than his 71 years, Gonsalves was successful on only his second attempt at playing the sport.

“Tennis is always going to be my first love and this is just the second time I’ve played pickleball,” Gonsalves said.

“I’m retired now so I just came out to enjoy it, to meet other people, have a chat and enjoy the morning.

“One of the things I was surprised about was the number of games you get to play. I started at 10am and played five games, so it was worth it and I’m getting to take home a medal.”

Albert De Matas picked up the first medal of the week for Trinidad & Tobago and had his friend to thank for the trip to Bermuda

“I only came here as a friend of mine was paying it forward and brought me here,” he said.

“He’s my godsend and his wife and his family brought me here. This has made my world complete and it’s beyond heaven. We flew in yesterday and years ago my wife said to me the most beautiful place she’s ever been to is Bermuda and on the approach I saw why she said that.

“Everybody’s so friendly and helpful that it just makes you want to be here longer.”

Among those playing in the event is Anna-Maria Joseph, affectionately known as the “Queen of Pickleball” in Antigua & Barbuda, and she is yet another to have fallen for Bermuda.

“It’s my first time visiting the island and I’m in love already,” Joseph said.

“The weather conditions so far have been fantastic. I’m staying is Coco Reefs Resort, overlooking a lovely beach with lovely sand and crashing waves, which is very nice to wake up to in the morning.

“I’m looking forward to a great week of pickleball and I think a lot of it is about catching up with old friends in different countries and the camaraderie. I have met so many people from all over the world and everybody is just one big happy pickleball family here.”