Published: November 28, 2025
Monrovia — Liberia’s national pickleball team lost its opening match Thursday to host Ghana at the first West Africa Regional Pickleball Tournament held at the University of Ghana.
Liberia’s doubles team, Emmanuel Chayee and Bill Freeman, lost in straight sets, first dropping 21-16 and then 21-14. The defeat marked Liberia’s debut in the international scene for this rapidly growing sport.
The team will resume play on Friday, when both representatives are scheduled to compete in singles matches.
Six nations are competing in the three-day tournament: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, and Burkina Faso. The event is organized by the Confederation of African Pickleball, which extended Liberia an invitation earlier this year.
Liberia qualified for the regional competition after holding its first national pickleball tournament earlier this month at Invincible Sports Park in Sinkor. The one-day event, hosted by the Liberia Pickleball Association, featured 16 players and officials and served as the country’s selection process for international play.
On Wednesday, the Liberian team paid a courtesy call to the Embassy of Liberia in Ghana, where they met with Ambassador Siatta Scott Johnson ahead of the tournament.
Pickleball, a hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, was introduced in Liberia in 2024. Since then, the Liberia Pickleball Association has worked to promote the sport, train coaches and players, and build a foundation for long-term growth.
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