Pickleball to hold ‘King’s Court’ event on Sept. 3

A total of 48 players will be suiting up in 12 Pickleball courts for next month’s King’s Court” event. (MARK RABAGO)

The Pickleball Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands will hold its “King’s Court” event on Sept. 3 at the American Memorial Park.

A total of 48 players will be suiting up in 12 Pickleball courts for next month’s tournament, which is sponsored by Paradise Dental Spa.

The “King’s Court” tournament will have a unique twist on the round-robin format and will have matches scheduled from 8am to 10am and 5pm to 7pm.

The king and queen of the “King’s Court” tournament will be crowned at the end of evening play. After the awards, a potluck dinner and a raffle drawing will follow.

Participants should bring a $20 raffle prize and tickets are sold at $5 for three raffle tickets.

The PFNMI is welcoming the community to come out and watch and share in the potluck and bring a dish and lawn chair. 

Since July 1, the PFNMI is now up to 70 members and for the “King’s Court” tournament they are expecting five players from Guam to participate—Derek Alcorn, Albert and Tomi Kronik, William Josler, and April Bernabe.

On Sept 4, PFNMI will also be holding a training session at the AMP tennis courts.  

PFNMI president Nelson Krum and five others who attended a pro clinic taught by Daniel Moore from Japan will be sharing what they learned with club members.

In addition, Moore will be visiting Saipan tentatively in March 2023 to host a clinic for Saipan players.  

The “King’s Court” event will also serve as a prelude to PFNMI’s Inaugural Marianas Cup between the CNMI and Guam set for Nov. 5, also at the AMP tennis courts.

Krum founded PFNMI with his wife Donna as Paradise Pickleball Club of Saipan in August 2020 after a hip replacement surgery forced him to switch from tennis to pickleball.

Last year also saw the sports organization become the 67th member of the International Pickleball Federation. It held its first-ever tournament at the Capitol Hill tennis courts last Oct. 30 with Donn Dunlop and Leith Poole topping a field of 16 players after accumulating a perfect 105 points each in a round-robin format.

Two years since its birth, PFNMI has grown from five regular players to 40. It also now has three courts at the Church of Latter-day Saints along Middle Road and four courts on Capitol Hill and has recently added the AMP tennis courts as its regular venue.

With over three million players, pickleball is arguably the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and its popularity has spread all over the world as pickleball—with the recent recognition of the CNMI—is currently played in 67 countries.

For more information about PFNMI’s “King’s Court” event, call or text Dr. Nelson Krum at 670-789-8201, or email @ nelsonkrum@msn.com.