ABOUT US

​​​​​​​Our History

Andi P, a fitness instructor with QLDC Sport and Recreation, introduced pickleball over to Queenstown 2018 as part of the Leisurelys programme for the over 65's.

Encouraging the Leisurelys was quite the challenge as they didn’t like the speed, and initially, the yellow ball was hard to see and she was forever nursing injuries with them. 

Having had a huge outlay with purchasing gear, Andi requested to the Programmes Manager to allow for any age to participate in late 2020, and subsequently told anyone who would listen about Pickleball.

Pickleball grew and grew and grew and after encouraging a few very keen Pickleballers to start the Queenstown Pickleball Club in late 2022, Andi was able to step away from promotion, court bookings and coordination.

With the QPC now hiring courts every morning, a couple of evenings, and the outside courts painted to suit, the success is down to the enjoyment of the game and the huge range of ages able to play both locally, regionally and nationally.

The Queenstown Picklaball Club now has 142 members.


A copy of the club's constitution can be found here.

What we achieved in 2023:   


  • Organised the QPC to become an Incorporated Society       

  • Bought and updated equipment      

  • Designed and produced club t-shirts      

  • Coached Wakatipu High School students and teachers       

  • Added Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays to the weekly schedule       

  • Been granted an equipment grant from Community Trust South     

What we have achieved in 2024:


  • Run the Whakatipu High School programme teaching students the art of pickleball

  • Acquired a gear trailer which is kept outside the Events Centre

  • Taught the game to many new local players

  • Hosted many overseas visitors

  • Set up this website with Sporty

  • Increased the numbers from 401 in February to 604 in March and memberhip to 142

What we have achieved in 2025:

Treasury Streamlined:Transitioned to a cashless system by eliminating cash handling and introducing QR code payments for visitor fees.

Evening Court Access:Secured a partnership with Shotover Primary School, providing additional court time two evenings per week — a huge benefit for members who can’t attend daytime sessions.

GPN Integration:Successfully established the Global Pickleball Network (GPN) as the club’s official platform for organising events, group sessions, and tournaments.

Drill Days Introduced: Launched regular ‘Drill Days’, giving members a chance to focus on specific shots and skills through structured, repetitive practice.

​​​​​​​

  • Run 2 tournaments      
  • Held 2 weekends of coaching 
  • Grown the club to 100 members
  • Welcomed many visiting players from New Zealand and overseas·       
  • Had QPC members represent the club at other clubs around the country as well as tournaments in New Zealand and abroad and at the Masters Games in Wanganui and the South Island Masters in Dunedin·       
  • Coached many new players



  • Increased the hours at the Events Centre from 2 to 3 hours during the week with additional session added when they become available

  • We have successfully updated the equipment at the Events Centre

  • QPC has been represented at Masters Games in Dunedin

  • Jono, Ross and Omid represented Queenstown Pickleball Club in the recent  North Canterbury Invitational Tournament

  • Run a successful St Patrick's Day's Club Day 


Regional Club Collaboration:Built strong relationships with other regional clubs including Wanaka, Gore, and Christchurch, allowing us to exchange best practices and collaborate on shared challenges.

Player Exchange: Frequent play between our club’s advanced players and those from Wanaka, fostering mutual learning and sharing of advanced techniques.

Successful Tournament Hosting:Hosted well-run and well-received regional tournaments, showcasing the club’s organisational strength and community spirit.

IPTPA Coaching Milestone:We now proudly have one member certified in IPTPA Levels 1 & 2, and another in Level 1 — making us the only club in Central Otago with IPTPA-qualified instructors.

MEET OUR COMMITTEE

Omid Mohtadi - President

Mayu Kakefu - Vice President

Jordan Chidgey – Secretary

Rebecca Lim - Committee Member