MANOR Park has welcomed a new sport to Malvern in the form of Pickleball.

Pickleball is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and over 5 million play regularly in the USA including such celebrities as Andre Agussi, Leonardo di Caprio, Bill Gates, and George and Amal Clooney. 

It is fast taking hold here in the UK, and now pickleball has arrived in Malvern.

Two regular pickleball groups have been set up at Manor Park Sports in Albert Road North, and are proving very popular.

Pickleball is a mixture of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It is played on a badminton-sized court using a slightly oversized table tennis paddle and a plastic ball. 

Maurice Nichols, who has been part of a team promoting pickleball at Manor Park, said: "It’s a really enjoyable game from the outset because there is only a small learning curve to start playing to an enjoyable standard.  

"Because it is played on a smaller court than tennis it is very sociable, and it doesn’t demand as much agility as other court sports because there is less ground to cover.  First signs are that people are really enjoying it."