Pickleball supremo Salli Griffith could not contain her delight as she sealed a first national title at the English Nationals in Bolton on Thursday.

The 70-year-old from Slough took gold in the women’s 70+ doubles alongside Yvonne Stredder, storming to victory in the final with a 11-2 11-8 win over Mary State and Lynne Temple.

A national title marks Griffith’s finest success on the court in a sport with which she has had a long association, with the graphic designer working behind the scenes on Pickleball England’s visuals.

But Griffith was thrilled to finally demonstrate her prowess on the court as well as on the computer.

“This is my first gold and it feels pretty good,” she said.

“We had four games this morning and won all of them, then got through the semi-final and won the final in two games.

“Being a graphic designer, I was called upon early to start doing graphics for pickleball England and it has grown so much.

“I didn’t know anything about it until someone I used to play squash with called me and asked if I could design a logo for his pickleball club.

“I said ‘Your what club?’ It grew from there, I went to Beaconsfield first, which is more a recreational club rather than competition, and then joined Runneymede Royals and then Aldershot & Farnham.”

Over the past year, pickleball has seen a meteoric rise in the UK due to its inclusive and accessible nature, with an estimated 12,000 regular players and over 450 venues offering the sport across the country.

There are now 682 athletes attending the National Championships at the Bolton Arena, up from 430 at the 2022 event.

Griffith was one of the early adopters of a sport that enjoys huge popularity in the USA and has seen the sport spread across all demographics.

And the 70-year-old believes the sport’s accessible nature for all ages will help it continue to garner new players.

“It is great to get on court with friends, it is such a fun game,” she added.

“Initially it was played my older age groups but now it has spread out through all the age groups. It is nice that it is a sport where you can go to a tournament and still play aged 70.”

2023 English Nationals takes place at Bolton Arena from Thursday 26th October to Sunday 29th October. This year’s English Nationals is sponsored by Skechers, Franklin, Scan and UK Pickleball Shop, Play will commence from 9am each day. Head to https://www.pickleballengland.org/ to find out more or to find your nearest place to play.