A young pickleball player from Frome who only took up the sport in January, has already won a bronze medal in the Under-15s junior category of the English Open.
Kai Santano, a Year 9 student at Frome College, took part in the competition which was held earlier this month as part of the Pickleball English Open in Telford.
“It is a truly astounding achievement,” said Frome Tennis Club development officer, Mattias Warner. “Kai was taken on for training at Sherborne by Pickleball England South West coaches Peter and Margaret Hunter in April. Since then, he has been developing into a future star of the sport.”
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines the elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net. The English Open is the second-largest open pickleball event in the world and attracted over 2,000 competitors from over 40 countries playing over 6,000 matches on 40 courts.
Last weekend, Kai also competed in the Exeter Cup and is gearing up to compete in the Pickleball England Nationals. “That’s about as high level as pickleball competitions go for both professionals and new amateur players,” said Mattias.
“Our club and many members helped sponsor him for the Open as an inspiration to all juniors,” said Mattias. “He is a star in the making. He is also an accomplished tennis player and still plays, thanks to Frome Tennis Club coach Stephen Marcelle.”
