In this issue’s pickleball news comes word that Franklin Sports has entered into a five-year partnership with Pickleball Canada that makes Franklin’s X-40 and X-26 balls and its paddles the Official Balls and Paddles of Pickleball Canada, which now joins a number of other organizations partnering with Franklin, including USA Pickleball, England and the Indian Pickleball Association.

As part of the partnership, Franklin Sports and Pickleball Canada will support grassroots efforts and collaborate to help pickleball athletes with access to equipment to play the game.

“We see pickleball rapidly becoming a global sport,” says Adam Franklin, president of Franklin Sports. “In working closely with Pickleball Canada, we can collaborate to help athletes of all ages and backgrounds have access to the products they need to be able to participate in all that pickleball has to offer.

“We will work together towards our shared vision for the growth of pickleball which allows many to share in all the wonderful social, mental and health benefits that pickleball affords,” Franklin adds. “We’re looking forward to pushing the growth of pickleball in Canada to the next level with all our existing Canadian retail partners and now our new partners in Pickleball Canada.”