The best players in the region have started to arrive in Bermuda for the Caribbean Pickleball Championships.

Some of the area’s top players are here to wrestle the team championship away from Bermuda as the island hosts the prestigious event for the first time this week, with the Rally on the Rock tournament, featuring more than 150 players of various abilities, starting today and providing an exciting precursor to the main event.

Gavin Manders, co-captain of Team Bermuda alongside Sasha Fisher, is confident that his squad can defend their crown on home soil.

“The squad is in a good position and having Sasha come down is always a blessing because she’s full time in the US,” Manders said.

“This is a unique opportunity to defend our crown on home soil, make sure we put on a good show for the whole region and inspire the next generation that comes out and watch.

“Hopefully a lot of people can come out so we can put our skills out there and show everyone what we have.”

Given her location, Fisher may not be a familiar face to Bermuda sports fans but her level of play is set to generate a legion of new supporters.

“I’m really excited and we’ve got a great team,” Fisher said. “I’m happy to be back and it’s really exciting to do it on home soil.

“We are going to try our best and we’re going to put everything out there. We are ready for the challenge.”

Manders is as influential off the court as he is on it and is one of the driving forces in bringing the tournament to Bermuda. He is ever present at the stadium to ensure that facilities are ready before the opening ceremony, which takes place at 6pm tonight.

“We’ve really become a leader in the region,” Manders said. “We have a phenomenal group of people doing a lot of hard work to make all of these things possible and hen the players come out on the court and make sure that we do our part.

“This will open doors for our juniors and if we keep kicking open the doors, the next generation is going to be able to really come through those doors a lot easier. We're here to do what we can to make sure that the next generation can use this sport for educational and career pathways. So it’s really bigger than the competition itself and it’s about the impact that it will have for the future.”

Among the competing nations is Trinidad & Tobago, who will have ten players competing in a number of divisions.

Watching Manders and Fisher training on Monday afternoon was Josh Arnold, Trinidad’s best player, and he is intent on making the most of his time in Bermuda.

“As soon as we got in, we were mesmerised by the beaches and the blue water,” Arnold said.

“For some of us, it’s our first time competing internationally on the national team but this year I think we are going to be much stronger given the unity we have, the bond we have and the heartfelt, positive vibes.

“I hope to win the 5.0 men’s singles and I’m playing 4.5 open mixed, while I’m hoping to do well in the men’s doubles with my nephew, who is 15 years old.

“He’s only been playing about a year now and he was a tennis player before. But he saw me play, he liked it and was like, Uncle, come teach me.”

Arnold has seen the popularity of pickleball increase exponentially in the region and is expecting the level of ability to continue to rise.

“It’s going to continue to get better every year,” Arnold said.

“I like the idea of having all these different Caribbean countries and I wish there were more. I know Jamaica has a pretty nice team, Bermuda are great and Cayman Islands always pose a threat.

“I’ve heard some of the guys and girls from there are really good. I love the level coming in here to the championships and I really want to grow it as the years go by.

“I have a couple of friends in Barbados and Bahamas that are also playing this sport and they’re all asking how they can get involved. They are starting to get sponsors and everyone on board is starting to come across. It’s shaping up to be an exciting time for Pickleball.”