KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - A game that’s a combination of tennis, pingpong and badminton is the focus of a Memorial Day weekend tournament in Kalamazoo.
The Pickleball Fever in the Zoo - Bob Northrop Memorial Tournament runs Friday through Sunday.
The USA Pickleball Association-sanctioned event is open to the public and free for spectators. It honors Bob Northrop, who helped bring pickleball to the Kalamazoo/Portage area.
The game is played on a court with the same dimensions as a badminton or platform tennis court. Players are armed with a lightweight, smooth paddle, which they use to hit a ball similar to a whiffle ball over a 34-inch-high net.
Nearly 200 pickleball players are expected to compete this weekend. Many of them have taken part in tournaments across the country.
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