The Netherlands makes its debut at the European Pickleball Championship!

The Netherlands to the European Pickleball Championship

From 19 to 21 September 2025, the time has come: the European Pickleball Championship will take place in Rome, Italy. For three days, the iconic Foro Italico, known from the 1960 Olympic Games, will be entirely dedicated to pickleball. For the first time, the Netherlands is participating with an official team.

National coach Geert Jan van Dijken will travel to Rome with twelve selected players. The team is a mix of experienced players and young talent, divided over four categories: Men's Open, Women's Open, Men's 50+ and Women's 50+. With this debut, the Netherlands is taking a great step in the development of the racket sport and is encouraging the further growth of pickleball.

How did the popularity of pickleball arise?

To understand how special this participation is, it is interesting to look at how pickleball became so popular. Pickleball was invented in 1965 in the United States by three fathers as a simple backyard game to keep their children occupied during the summer holidays. What started as a family activity soon grew into a serious sport with a worldwide following.

In 2013, pickleball began its rise in the Netherlands. Thanks to enthusiastic demonstrations and trial lessons, more and more players and clubs joined. By now, numerous tennis and padel clubs are installing pickleball courts and regional tournaments are being organised throughout the country. The competition is becoming stronger and more professional every year.

Since January 2025, the Netherlands has even had an official National Pickleball Championship. The rapid development shows that the sport is much more than a temporary trend. Pickleball gets people moving, connects generations and has all the potential to grow into a permanent fixture within Dutch racket sports.

Playing pickleball in the Netherlands?

One of the biggest advantages of pickleball is its low barrier to entry. The rules are simple and the game requires less physical effort than, for example, tennis or padel. The court is smaller and the racket and the ball are lighter. This makes it attractive for all ages and levels: from primary school children to seniors who want to stay fit and active.

Organisations also see the possibilities:

• Clubs and associations use pickleball to attract new members and broaden their sports offering.
• Schools introduce the sport to acquaint children with racket sports in an accessible way.
• Municipalities invest in pickleball to offer residents extra opportunities to be active.

For all these parties, it is desirable to have good facilities available. W&H Sports provides the complete setup for this, so that pickleball can be offered in a professional and sustainable way.

Pickleball furnishing materials from W&H Sports

W&H Sports supplies everything needed to offer pickleball in a professional and sustainable way. Not only modular sports floors, but also the net posts in both a mobile version and a fixed version with ground sockets.

• Our sports floors are specially suitable for pickleball and last for years.
  • Modular sports floor Ultimate Flow
• The net posts are available in different versions. Discover the different versions on our website:
  • Pickleball post (oval profile)
  • Mobile pickleball posts
  • Mobile pickleball installation
  • Urban multifunctional net posts

With these facilities, W&H Sports facilitates: clubs, schools and municipalities to offer pickleball both recreationally and professionally. Players can enjoy free recreation or train ambitiously and play matches at the highest level, exactly like Team Netherlands during the European Championship in Rome.

W&H Sports has already successfully completed various projects:

• W&H Sports supplies the 1st indoor pickleball court
• The very first multifunctional pickleball court in the Netherlands has opened in Rotterdam!

Is this the moment for Pickleball?

With the right facilities and a growing community, pickleball in the Netherlands is ready for the next step. Team Netherlands' participation in the 2025 European Championship underlines that momentum and may give the sport a powerful boost. Especially if we respond to it!

Contact us today and discover what W&H Sports can mean for your sporting ambitions.