ZAGREB, 16 June (Hina) - A demonstration pickleball tournament was held in Zagreb on Sunday, showcasing a sport that is increasingly gaining popularity in Croatia.
The tournament was organised by the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP), and the funds raised, with around 50 players taking part, were donated to the charity Krijesnica, which supports children with cancer. Funds from the previous tournament, held in Milna on the island of Brač, were given to the charity Brački pupoljci.
Steven Pavletić, an oncologist at the U.S. National Institutes of Health in Bethesda who started promoting pickleball in Croatia nearly seven years ago, expressed particular satisfaction at seeing the tournament held in Zagreb.
The first pickleball demonstration in Croatia was in autumn 2017, when we gathered the first enthusiasts. It continued in 2018, and then, through the efforts of the ACAP and with support from the State Office for Croats Abroad, in 2020 we launched weekly pickleball sessions at the Jabukovac Primary School in Zagreb, said Pavletić.
Following the first courts in Milna, courts have now been available for a year in Veslačka Street in Zagreb, and tomorrow a new centre will open in Split, the largest pickleball centre in Europe, with 12 courts, he added, highlighting this as proof that the sport has truly taken off in Croatia.
Regarding the charity aspect of the pickleball tournament, he said it was the perfect combination of amateur play and a charitable cause.
Pavletić also announced a promotional pickleball tour across Croatian islands this summer, emphasising the sport’s tourism potential.
Organising this charity tournament in Zagreb was a challenge, but we succeeded thanks to the teamwork of the organisers and Krijesnica, said Kekoa Bauer, a pickleball promoter from Hawaii who lives in Croatia.
For me, coming from the U.S. and wanting to make Croatia my home, this is a great honour and I want to continue this in other places, like Split, where on Monday we’re opening the largest pickleball centre in Europe, she added.
That centre will be used, among others, by residents of the local Autism Centre, local citizens and tourists, especially older adults.
Bauer said pickleball is extremely popular among older people in the U.S., where about 40 million people play the sport, and that promotion in Croatia should also target this demographic. I believe that pickleball can help older people in Croatia stay healthy and strong and live longer lives, she added.
The tournament also featured Domenika Turković, a Croatian who plays pickleball professionally in the U.S., as a special guest and coach. She expects the sport’s popularity to continue growing in Croatia and announced plans to try to form a Croatian team for European and World Championships.
She noted there is great potential for developing pickleball in tourism, particularly in the pre- and post-seasons when Croatia is mainly visited by older tourists. Pickleball clubs in the U.S. organise tourist trips that include playing the sport, so she believes investment in courts would attract visitors interested in this kind of activity.
