A pair of Orillia pickleball players recently struck gold in the men’s under 30 division at the Pickleball Ontario East Region Championship in Kingston, Ont.
Fredy Rosales and Sal Shivakumar also earned a free "golden ticket" entry to play in the Ontario Provincial Championship finals in Collingwood this fall.
Rosales and Shivakumar played seven games in the lead-up to the final match. They pulled off the victory after being down 12-7, coming back to tie and finally win the dramatic gold-medal game, 18-16.
This is the first doubles pickleball tournament for the young players. They registered to compete at the inaugural tourney at Pickleball Ontario Championship Series that lists all the competitions across provincial regions.
Rosales and Shivakumar play six days a week at the Orillia Recreation Centre. On most days, anywhere from 30 to 60 players show up at the rec centre to participate in North America’s fastest growing sport.
Drop-in pickleball at the Recreation Centre welcomes people of all ages. Beginners play Monday and Wednesday mornings and experienced “smashers” play every day but Sunday.
Gold champ Shivakumar is able to play thanks to a monthly student pass he has as a computer science student at the Orillia campus of Lakehead University.
Rosales obtains a monthly Fun Pass, which costs $37 for local residents. Daily rates are also available. A monthly Fun Pass offers access to all drop-in programs, including pickleball, aquatic and fitness centre. Different rates apply to local Orillia residents and non-residents.
For more information, call the Orillia Recreation Centre at 705-325-4386, check orillia.ca/active or go to the West Street South facility's front desk in person.
