a real pickle

Houston's first-ever professional pickleball tournament swings into Memorial Park

The first-ever pro pickleball tourney promises to be a smash.

USA Pickleball/Facebook

Is pickleball more fun to watch, like baseball, or is it more fun to play, like softball? Houstonians can ponder these questions when the first-ever professional pickleball tournament ever to be hosted in the Bayou City comes to town in October.

The APP Sunmed Houston Open swings into Memorial Park from October 19-23. A showcase of some of the world’s best pickleball players, the tournament features action in pro, senior pro, and amateur divisions.

Registration to participate APP Sunmed Houston Open Golden Ticket Qualifier for Amateurs and Pros, which promises a $60,000 prize purse, is open through October 10 and can be found online. Importantly, interested players must enroll as a member of USA Pickleball if they are currently not registered with the organization.

As for spectators, admission is $10 online or at the gate during tournament times.

With more than 4.8 million people playing worldwide — an increase of 40 percent since 2020 — pickleball is currently America’s fastest-growing sport. (Interestingly, Microsoft founder Bill Gates has been playing pickleball for more than 50 years, according to Forbes.)

Currently, more than 10,000 Houstonians are estimated to play pickleball.

Jumping on that trend, the City of Houston helped organize the tournament in a joint effort between Council Member Abbie Kamin, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Greater Houston Pickleball, and the Houston Pickleball Association.

“It doesn’t stop at this tournament; our District is leading the way and making the investment when it comes to supporting Houston’s love for Pickleball— one of the fastest growing sports in the country,” Kamin noted in a statement. “We’re the first office to partner with the incredible team in our Parks and Recreation Department to bring pickleball courts to five of our district’s parks, which should be ready for all Houstonians to enjoy very soon.”

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The APP Sunmed Houston Open will run at Memorial Park (1500 East Memorial Loop Dr.) from October 19-23. For more information, registration, or tickets, visit the official site.

FIFA fan policies

FIFA to allow disposable water bottles in Houston Stadium for World Cup

Photo by Peter Dazely Getty Images

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In a change of policy, FIFA will now allow fans to bring their own water bottles to some stadiums during the World Cup, including Reliant Stadium, called "Houston Stadium" during the tournament.

FIFA's decision adjusted a policy that had barred spectators from bringing refillable water bottles into the tournament’s 16 stadiums across North America, including some with limited or no shade from the sun.

FIFA in a social media post said fans will be permitted to bring one, soft, plastic, 20-ounce, factory-sealed, disposable water bottle into any match taking place in the United States or Canada.

Swell stainless steel water bottles Reusable water bottles are a no for World Cup. Greenhead.com

In a video released by FIFA, Chief Operating Officer Heimo Schirgi said fans will still not be permitted to bring in hard sided, reusable water bottles “due to safety and security reasons.”

FIFA stated, “for the avoidance of doubt, reusable water bottles may not be brought into the stadium.”

FIFA’s stadium rules had stated that fans could bring in a transparent, reusable bottle up to one liter, or 33.8 ounces capacity. On Thursday, June 4, the “Stadium Code of Conduct” update was criticized by an English fan group, which argued FIFA had given assurances on carrying empty plastic bottles to fill with freely available water at a tournament where heat and extreme weather are expected to be a factor.

Seven FIFA World Cup matches will be played in Houston. AT&T Stadium in Arlington. They includes Germany vs. Curaçao (June 14), Portugal vs. Congo DR (June 17), Netherlands vs. Sweden (June 20), Portugal vs. Uzbekistan (June 23), and Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (June 26)

The stadium will also host a Round of 32 match (June 29) and one Round of 16 match (July 4).

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