Nelson Bay's John Eyres wins gold at Australian Pickleball Championships

And for one player, it's given him the opportunity to represent his community on a national level.

John Eyres, 64, is the Nelson Bay Pickleball president and now also a gold medal winner.

Eyres secured his accolade in the Men's Singles 60 plus category at the 2022 Australian Pickleball Championships in Brisbane over the October Long Weekend.

"And what are the odds of me ever playing in any Australian championships?," he said.

"I've never been close in any other sport I've ever played and this was an opportunity."

Coming up against hundreds of competitors, Eyres wasn't expecting to come out on top but he gave it his best shot, quite literally.

"It was totally unexpected, I won the first game and I thought 'Well I'd better keep trying'.

"You just never know your luck," he said.

Eyres has played pickleball for 18 months on the courts at the Nelson Bay PCYC and said he enjoys the social and competitive aspect of it.

"The game is much like tennis but played on a smaller court with a different ball and a funny bat," he said.

"We have people in their 80's still playing, it caters for everyone and that's the ability for us to continue to be active, get out and be social."

The club has been running for two years and began with just one court and has since expanded to three.

"We have about 50 members in our club and around 20 of us gather twice a week to have a hit," Eyres said.

He encouraged more players to come and try out the sport.

"New people are welcome to come along and grow the club. If numbers keep growing we might have to pick up another day," he said.

There is also a chance to visit other Pickleball clubs for social hits and gatherings.

"There's about eight to 10 of us heading to Taree soon because there's three different Pickleball Clubs between us, Forster and there, so we will have a social hit with them, stay overnight and have dinner," Eyres said.

The Pickleball Club gathers on Mondays from 10am-12pm and Thursdays 2-4pm. Cost is $6 for the day. PCYC supplies the balls, paddles and nets.

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