With the number of registered players more than doubling in the last year, pickleball is among the fastest growing sports in Canada.

There are now more than 13,000 people across the country taking to the courts on an annual basis, including more than 400 of those who make their home in Kelowna, often recognized as a hotbed of pickleball.

Last weekend, the game was front and centre in the Okanagan as Pickleball Kelowna played host to the Pickleball Canada National Tournament害羞草研究所攆eaturing 430 players from across North America害羞草研究所攁t the Parkinson Recreation Centre.

Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 four-year run as hosts for the national event has come to an end害羞草研究所攁t least for now害羞草研究所攁s Kingston, ON has been chosen by Pickleball Canada to host the 2019 tournament.

The 2018 event was played on 12 dedicated pickleball courts at Parkinson, along with 16 more temporary ones on the Basil Meikle Tennis Courts.

If Pickleball Kelowna is to remain firmly on the map for future national events, club spokesman Wayne Pierce said a larger, dedicated pickleball facility will need to be built.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been a really good run for us, we certainly recognized going into this that Pickleball Canada wants to move this around the country and we understand that,害羞草研究所� said Pierce.

害羞草研究所淲e would like to host this again one day, but with the tremendous growth the sport is enjoying all across the country, we need more facilities here, a platform where all the courts are together. It害羞草研究所檚 something we害羞草研究所檒l continue to pursue with the city.害羞草研究所�

Pierce said regardless of when the nationals return, Pickleball Kelowna will continue to host major annual events害羞草研究所攑erhaps a Canadian Open or Western Canadian championship.

As far as the benefits the community reaps from hosting such events, the nationals this year generated an estimated $1 million for the local economy.

On the court, the 2018 Canada National Tournament was temporarily hindered by rain on Friday afternoon, but Pierce said by mid-day on Saturday all matches were back on schedule.

Here害羞草研究所檚 a look at how local players fared at the national tournament:

害羞草研究所� Men害羞草研究所檚 doubles senior open害羞草研究所擬ike Schwarz and Jay Rippel (Issaquah, WA), gold

害羞草研究所� Men害羞草研究所檚 singles Open害羞草研究所擩ordan Renwick, silver

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 Singles Open害羞草研究所擟hantal Plamondon, silver

害羞草研究所� Mixed Doubles Open害羞草研究所擱oberta Meakin and Marco Jankowiak (Fraser Valley), bronze

害羞草研究所� Men害羞草研究所檚 4.5 doubles害羞草研究所擩ordan Renwick and Andreas Wins-Purdy, silver

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 doubles 4.5害羞草研究所擫orena McClure and Jillian Jackson, bronze

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 doubles 4.0害羞草研究所� Jillian Nicholls and Chantal Plamondon (Quebec), silver

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 doubles 3.5害羞草研究所擝everly Shoaf and Margaret Kessler, silver

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 doubles Open害羞草研究所擱oberta Meakin and Jayna Mikuse (Kamloops), gold; and Laura Schwarz and Sue Fosbery, silver

害羞草研究所� Mixed doubles senior Open害羞草研究所擫aura Schwarz and Mike Schwarz, silver

害羞草研究所� Mixed doubles 4.5害羞草研究所擪aren Austin and Naveed Butt (Nanton, AB), bronze

害羞草研究所� Mixed doubles 4.0害羞草研究所擲tan Kuropatwa and Chantal Plamondon, bronze

害羞草研究所� Women害羞草研究所檚 3.5 singles害羞草研究所擜nne Pettit, silver

害羞草研究所� Men害羞草研究所檚 singles 3.5害羞草研究所擬ichael Botterill, silver