Frustrated pickleball player ‘paints’ own court after 100 failed court booking attempts

SINGAPORE: A pickleball enthusiast in Serangoon recently complained that she had tried to book an ActiveSG court through relatives and friends. She can only book a maximum of two time slots per day, but all her attempts failed, although she tried nearly a hundred times.

After her unsuccessful attempts, she had no choice but to set up her own court in an open space near her home playground, where she used tape to mark the boundaries needed to play the sport. The problem was that she had to redraw the lines every time it rained. 

Rising popularity of pickleball 

Pickleball is a sport similar to tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It is played on a flat court using short paddles and a plastic ball with holes, which players hit over a low net. Today, people of all ages and skill levels can play the sport all over the world.

However, the rising popularity of the sport has caused problems, too. Shin Min Daily News recently reported that several residents had complained about pickleball enthusiasts playing from morning to evening on the covered badminton and open-air soccer field at  Block 547, Serangoon North Avenue 3. It was reported that the noise caused by the sport was disrupting the daily lives of other people. 

The authorities took some measures to address these issues in July, allowing the football field and badminton courts to be used by the players from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

The Serangoon pickleball enthusiast remarked: “Pickleball is not only a good sport but also a great way to make new friends, but it has been criticised for the noise it makes, and it’s hard to book a court these days.” 

She tried to talk to the authorities about building a permanent pickleball court in the area, but she said that they had no such plans yet. 

“Perhaps the town council and ActiveSG can work together to allow the badminton court to be used interchangeably with the pickleball court,” she added. 

The pickleball players know that the sport can be noisy, so they are trying to play in the allotted time. 

Unfortunately, the pickleball enthusiast who built her own pickleball court may have violated a law. If she is convicted under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, she may be fined $1,000.