KAMPALA, Uganda, September 22, 2026 — The fourth instalment of the Pickleball Uganda Open event was successfully organised, as the coveted sport has grown in leaps and bounds to attract participants from outside Uganda, including those from Kenya, Tanzania and Germany, into the Old Kampala Arena.
The tournament wound up on Monday, September 21, 2026, with several gold medals being shared among the two participating countries, Uganda and Kenya, in all the events, as reported by NTV Uganda. According to Roberts Bakaze, who is the president of the Pickleball Uganda Federation, the last event had more participation than previous events, which is a good sign of the sport being embraced by a larger number of people in Uganda.
It is inspiring to note the speed at which the sport has grown into one of the most competitive sports in Uganda. The first Uganda Pickleball Open was held on February 22 to 23, 2023, where 12 players from Kenya and Tanzania and their hosts in Uganda would compete in the event, which was hosted at the Old Kampala Indoor Arena.
By September 2024, the pickleball scene in Uganda was already being referred to as developing strides at schools and universities after its introduction to the country in 2022, as revealed by New Vision.
Thus, the latest international turnout provides a fascinating glimpse into how rapidly a fairly new sport can transform from some rare pastime into a regional competition platform.
The history of pickleball is not straightforward. USA Pickleball claims that the sport appeared in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington, owing its inception to Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. It is a special game that incorporates techniques from tennis, badminton, and table tennis, while a special perforated plastic ball is being used as well as sturdy paddles on the badminton-sized court.
Uganda has experienced the same evolution in a less time-consuming manner. Starting from the first national open that took place in 2023, Uganda now enjoys the fourth edition of the competition, with participants coming from East Africa and Europe.
Also, maybe one of the most telling stats might not be the total number of medals won. It is the growing number of people who are eager to take their paddle in hand and walk onto the court. The development of pickleball in Uganda seems to have turned into a story of participation in playing, of competing and of establishing international contacts.
