Fil-Aussie teen bags bronze in Australian Pickleball Championships

GOLD COAST, Australia — A Filipino-Australian teenager took home a bronze medal during the recent 2024 Trilogy Funds Australian Pickleball Championships (APC) held in Gold Coast, Australia. Javier Segui, 13, clinched the third spot in the 14 and Under Boys Singles Skill category earlier this month.

Held from Oct. 2 to 7, the APC is the "largest gathering of pickleball players in the Southern Hemisphere," with over 1,200 players participating, according to Pickleball Australia Association (PAA).

"The event is solidified as the second largest tournament outside of the US (United States) with only the 2024 English Open attracting a larger participation base… It brings together players of all ages and skills and offers inclusive opportunities for able-bodied and players with disabilities, physical or intellectual, to compete alongside and with some of the best homegrown and international talent," PAA said in a statement.

Birthday win

Coincidentally, Segui won the bronze on his 13th birthday (7th October), making the tournament more memorable for him. "It was my first pickleball tournament. I was trying really hard. It was scary at first. On the first day, we were going against somebody who already won a gold," Segui said.

Segui competed in both the 18 and Under Boys Doubles Skill and 14 and Under Boys Singles Skill categories, but he and his partner eventually bowed to more experienced players in the Doubles category. In the Singles category, Segui, who was representing Queensland as a local Gold Coast player, edged out a player from Victoria state and placed third.

"I first started playing pickleball two years ago, at a friend's house. It was just a social thing to do. They have a pickleball court, and he taught me. His father is a professional pickleball player," Segui said.

"For the tournament, we trained for three weeks with his father and we were also coached by a seeded player," he added. "Maybe my tennis lessons helped, too. I started taking lessons in prep."

Pickleball is an emerging sport in Australia, attracting players mostly in the older age category. The 2024 APC Championships were the fifth edition, with the first one held in 2018. The event was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic. In 2023, the championships were held in New South Wales and attracted over 700 participants, according to PAA.

"The event offers maximum participation with players competing in singles, doubles, mixed doubles and specialty formats," PAA stated.

Segui said he might join a few more pickleball tournaments after this. He does other sports, such as tennis, swimming and volleyball. Also this month, his school volleyball team won silver at the Volleyball Queensland 2024 Junior Schools Cup. It was also his first tournament with the team.

Currently a Year 7 student, Javier is the youngest of three children. His parents Oliver and Juliette grew up in the Philippines. Before migrating to Australia in 2007, Quezon City was home to Oliver, while Juliette grew up in Cainta, Rizal. Oliver, who shares the same birthday with Javier, is a practicing doctor in the Gold Coast. — VDV, GMA Integrated News