• The 1st Congress and Fair of Physical Activity and Sports of the Canary Islands, to be held from November 14 to 17 at Infecar, will feature a court with this innovative sport, allowing the public to try it in person with the presence of qualified instructors
• Pickleball, a racquet game with a ball that withstands substantial impacts without reaching high speeds, has landed in the Canary Islands during the last year, introduced by the federation

ExpoDeca 2024 continues to refine its program as it aims to establish itself as the first significant summit for the Sports sector in the Canary Islands. The 1st Congress and Fair of Physical Activity and Sports in the Canary Islands, to be held at Infecar from November 14 to 17, will be a great meeting point for public and private institutions, academic and training centres, and experts in the sector.

It will also serve as a significant forum for the exhibition of activities by companies, brands, and firms related to sports in the Islands. Lastly, it will be a grand theme park of sports practised in the Archipelago, with outdoor areas for exhibitions and practices of football, basketball, volleyball, climbing, archery, paddle tennis, and Indigenous sports, as well as pavilions dedicated to gymnastics, weightlifting, or fencing, with special mention to the world of fitness.

In addition to reserved spaces for nautical activities and motorsports, ExpoDeca will allow the first major multitudinous launch in the region for the new discipline that has entered strongly in Spain and the Canary Islands, hand in hand with tennis federations: ‘pickleball’. The public attending the fair will be able to see first-hand how it is played and what distinguishes this modality, which, to date, is the trendy sport in countries like the United States.

ExpoDeca 2024 is promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports and organized by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Infecar Feria de Gran Canaria. Admission to ExpoDeca 2024 will be free, and interested parties can reserve their places on the event’s official website, expodeca.es.

Pickleball: the new trendy sport

Pickleball is a racquet sport played on a small court (approximately six by thirteen meters), without walls, combining rules from tennis, paddle tennis, table tennis, and badminton. It can be played individually or in pairs, and one of its distinctive features lies in the characteristics of the ball: a ball with several holes that withstands strong hits without reaching high speeds. Both the paddles, similar to beach paddles but rectangular, and the ball are made of synthetic material.

Despite being a discipline conceived in the 1960s, pickleball has not become popular until recent years. In these last few years, its practice has skyrocketed in the United States, with more than ten million practitioners. Its international federation already encompasses more than fifty countries. In Spain, it has begun to penetrate strongly in the last year, and in the Canary Islands, several courts have been set up for its practice in recent months.

Grand debut at ExpoDeca

While pickleball has already been the protagonist of some specific presentations in the Islands during the last year, the 1st Congress and Fair of Physical Activity and Sports of the Canary Islands will constitute its first grand debut before a massive audience. The Canarian Tennis Federation has strongly bet on this new modality, which will be the centre of its activity during its presence at ExpoDeca 2024.

For this purpose, a pickleball court will be set up within the Infecar premises, where the public can try it out. Play will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and several qualified teachers from the federation, including staff specifically prepared in this thriving discipline, will be present.

Participation in this activity, like admission to the fair, will be accessible during the four days the event will take place at the Gran Canaria fairgrounds.

Promotion of tennis in the Canary Islands

While pickleball will capture visitors’ attention regarding racquet sports, the Canarian Tennis Federation will also have a stand where it will promote its main activity. The public will be able to learn firsthand about the presence of tennis in the Islands, its clubs, and how to get into this exciting sport, which has consolidated roots in the Islands.

In addition, the federation will devote special attention to promoting two modalities of great relevance to the Archipelago: beach tennis, which has a strong tradition in the Canary Islands, and wheelchair tennis, which has a significant social impact. In this regard, special actions will be organized to promote both outside the fair.

ExpoDeca 2024: a celebration of sports

The organization of ExpoDeca 2024 continues to work on providing an extensive program of activities. Sports federations have been directly involved in scheduling exhibitions and open sports practices such as football, handball, volleyball, climbing, archery, gymnastics, fencing, or weightlifting during the fair. The world of motorsports, nautical activities, and Indigenous sports complete this wide range of modalities in an event that will feature a playroom aimed at families with traditional games.

Institutions, entities, or firms interested in attending ExpoDeca 2024 can formalize the process on the event’s official website, expodeca.es.