After a successful inaugural tournament last year, the Greater Ohio Valley Pickleball Invitational is back in Owensboro this weekend and has drawn even more players from all over the region.
The event is hosted by Owensboro Pickleball Association and will be held at Centre Court’s indoor tennis facility.
The tournament brought in 189 players last year, while this year’s registration topped out at 251 individuals. As the sport of pickleball continues to grow, OPA has helped lead the charge in ensuring that Owensboro stays on track with the sport’s increasing popularity.
Tournament director Rene Kuegel said she is excited to welcome players from nine different states to Owensboro for the weekend. Co-directing this year’s tournament will be Deli Stinnett, a native of Terre Haute, Ind.
“We have worked incredibly hard to make sure that we put together a well-organized and well-run tournament,” Kuegel said. “When you have participants traveling upwards of eight hours to play the game, you want to make sure that you are not wasting their time. This weekend will really be a celebration of our community, with several local businesses supporting what is happening.”
The singles portion of tournament play begins at 4 p.m. today. Men’s and women’s doubles begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, and mixed doubles is set to start at 8 a.m. Sunday.
All registrants will receive a free lunch each day, as well as a T-shirt to commemorate the event.
For more information, visit pickleballtournaments.com or follow the Owensboro Pickleball Association Facebook page.
