The 1st Austrian Pickleball Championships will take place on September 22nd and 23rd, 2023, at the indoor courts of the Racket Sport Center Graz in Ragnitz. Approximately 40 entries have been received for this event by the Pickleball Federation Austria. PFA Vice President Peter Robic expressed his excitement, saying, “I am delighted to see that the relatively young sport of Pickleball is gaining more and more traction in Austria. In August, we hosted the first national tournament in Vienna with 24 entries. Here at the Austrian Championships in Graz, we have nearly twice as many entries. For the first time in Austria, we will also have a youth event in Pickleball – the sport captivates both the young and old.” Special thanks go to the event’s supporters: Racket Sport Center Graz, Zcebra – Wild Pickleball, On Your Marks, and BLVB-blub KG.

Schedule and Livestream

On Friday, starting at 12:00 PM, the singles event of the open category will take place, followed by the youth under-18 doubles event at 3:30 PM. On Saturday, starting at 10:00 AM, the Austrian champions in mixed doubles will be determined, followed by the open category doubles event at approximately 12:30 PM. In each category, one competition will be held without seeding, ensuring that all participants have an equal chance at a championship title. More tournaments are planned for the winter of 2023/2024, organized by PFA member clubs. In 2024, an Austrian ranking list is expected to be established.

Thanks to a partnership with the Racketlon Federation Austria, which is concurrently hosting an international racket sports competition, there will be a livestream of the 1st Austrian Pickleball Championships on both days: Streamster.TV Day 1, Streamster.TV Day 2.

What is Pickleball?

Pickleball was invented in the United States over 50 years ago and has been gaining popularity worldwide, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an entertaining and easy-to-learn sport that combines elements of table tennis, badminton, and tennis. It is played on a court the size of a badminton court. Two or four players use rackets, known as paddles, made of wood or composite materials like carbon fiber to hit a polymer ball with holes over a net that is approximately waist-high. Like tennis, the ball can bounce once in the court or be volleyed from the air. Points can only be scored with one’s own serve. A unique feature of Pickleball is that you must not a volley (hit the ball in the air) in the area near the net, called the “Kitchen.” Another distinctive rule is the Two-Bounce Rule: the ball must touch the ground at least once on each side of the court before it can be taken from the air (both the serve and return must land in the court).

 

Press Release 1/2023, Sept. 21.

Press Contact: Peter Robic, peter@playpickleball.at