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Southampton plays host to first European Pickleball Championships

Guy Nicklinson

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“Champions of Europe” is the title teams from 24 countries competed for last weekend, in a sport you may not have heard of, pickleball.

The European Pickleball Championships were held at the Southampton Tennis Centre and many people paid a visit to enjoy the weekends action.

Two gold and four silver medals saw Team England crowned overall winners of the European Pickleball Championships.

Pickleball is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.

It is played on a badminton-sized court, with a lower tennis net and an extra-large table tennis-like ball.

The event included an opening ceremony where teams entered the venue alongside their country’s flag.

Pickleball England 18+ Coach, Sam Basford said: “There are so many countries here. We didn’t even know where pickleball was being played. It’s really cool to see so many players here and the atmosphere has been amazing so far.”

Team Denmark player Jimmy Scherff said: “The atmosphere around the court, the people, the teammates, it’s wonderful”.

“Pickleball is a social game” and “it’s faster than any other sport” said Sanna Antikainen and Selma Suikkainen from Team Finland, on why they like the sport.

Mollie Knaggs, a winner with Team England said: “Just try it! Anyone can play whether that’s socially or competitively”.

Invented in the US in 1965, pickleball clubs started to form in the UK around 2011 and the sport has continued to grow ever since.

It is estimated that in 2023 there were around 270 pickleball venues and 7,000 players in the UK, with the game expected to grow further in the coming years.

Football

Meira Ashby seals dramatic comeback for Wycombe Wanderers

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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Wycombe Wanderers made a dramatic comeback with two goals from Meira Ashby, the second of which put her side ahead in the 63rd minute.

Winchester’s Chelsie Hay opened the scoring in the 16th minute and doubled the lead shortly after, giving the flayers a comfortable 2-0 lead and the hope of being able to equal in points with the opponents in the league table. 

HT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 0 Wycombe Wanderers 

A first goal for the visiting team came in the 57th minute through Kayla Potter, giving the Wanderers a renewed belief in being able to win the game. Just minutes later, Meira Ashby struck twice, in the 61st and 63rd minutes, completing the turnaround and securing the comebackthat keeps the Wanderers comfortably at the top of the table. 

FT: Winchester City Flyers 2 – 3 Wycombe Wanderers 

The Winchester Flyers take the loss and remain behind Wycombe Wanderers in the league standings, meanwhilethe wanderers stay in first place for yet another week. The result adds pressure on Winchester to keep pace, while it further strengthens Wycombe’s position as title contenders.

Next up for Winchester is another home fixture, this time against Southampton Women’s FC 

Waycombe Wanderers will face Abingdon United FC in their next match.

Both teams head into their upcoming fixtures with very different momentum.  Winchester will be looking to regroup and be able to keep their first-half performance into the full 90 minutes, while Wycombe will aim to keep building on what they have been doing and maintain their place at the top of the table

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Sport

Beyond the punches: The real basics of boxing for beginners

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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Boxing might look aggressive from the outside, making it easy to overlook the discipline, technique, and community that actually define the sport. 

Walking into a boxing gym for the first time can feel intimidating, but most beginners are surprised by how structured and supportive the environment is.

At Winchester Boxing Club, head coach Filip Duda says the fundamental key of boxing for beginners is footwork, “get that right”, he explains, “then everything else comes quite naturally”. This is a reminder that the sport isn’t just about throwing punches, but about learning how to move, balance and stay in control.

For beginners, that means starting with the basics: understanding your stance, keeping your guard up, and building confidence through repetition. 

Another coach at the club emphasised the importance of mastering the fundamentals not only physically but also mentally. “Understanding that you are not always going to win and that you most likely will lose your first fight”, she says, is just as important as the physical part of the sport. 

Boxing is also often viewed as a male-dominated sport. Some of the women training in Winchester admitted that it is challenging at times to be in such a male-dominated sport; however, she said it has been amazing and empowering to join this sport.

While every boxer’s journey starts differently, the message across the club is the same: anyone is welcome to give the sport a try. 

From building fitness to gaining confidence, boxing offers something valuable to everyone who walks through the door. 

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Sport

Squash finally secures its Olympic debut at LA 2028

Rebecca Perez Taylor

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The Olympics are the biggest sporting stage in the world, the place every athlete dreams of reaching one day.

For squash players, however, that dream has been out of reach.

That will finally change at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where Squash is set to make its long awaited Olympic debut as one of five sports added to this edition of the Games.

Squash was invented in England during the 19th century, and since then it has grown into a global sport, played in more than 180 countries. 

Squash is a fast-paced racket sport played indoors in a four-walled court. Players rally a small rubber ball against the walls, using speed, precision and placement to make it as difficult as possible for their opponent to return the shot.

Despite its worldwide reach and its presence in other major multi-sport events such as the  Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the World Games, squash has never been part of the Olympic Games program. The closest it has been to appearing in the games before was at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, where it appeared as a demonstration sport.

Over the years, the sport has made several bids for inclusion; London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but each attempt was unsuccessful. After decades of campaigning, the sport has finally earned a spot in the competition.

A key factor in squash’s inclusion can be attributed to the evolution of its facilities. The modern glass courts allow spectators to see the action of the game from every angle, making the sport more accessible for fans and broadcasters. These innovations have made squash a more television-friendly event, and this is one of the factors that helped it secure its spot on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

This Olympic recognition is expected to boost the popularity of the sport worldwide, increasing participation, investment in the sport and visibility, helping squash grow and establish itself as a major sport.  

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