An annual festive trip to the Caribbean for Gavin Manders has resulted in picking up two titles at the Pickle & Chill Jamaica Christmas Pickleball.

Manders defeated Brandon Tom 11-2, 11-7 to win the singles competition and also combined with Joel Azhar to overcome Derek Walcott and Kobi Stiebel for victory in the doubles.

“It was a big tournament in Kingston over the Christmas period, where I got to play against the best players from Jamaica,” the former Davis Cup player told The Royal Gazette. “I played in the elite, where I won the singles and the doubles.”

The tournament in Jamaica allowed the 38-year-old to gauge the level of competition ahead of the Caribbean Pickleball Championships, which will be held in Cayman Islands from February 6 to 9.

“It was definitely a spectacular experience,” the Pickleball Association Bermuda national director said.

“It was good to test the skills against the best in Jamaica, connect and network to see how they do things over there.”

“I had an opportunity to take a sneak peek into how some of our competition is going to be like in the Caribbean Championships.

“For me it’s always great to compete and solidify my status as one of the better players in the region.

“It’s also important to help the different countries in the region to start helping each other grow the sport, and see how we can work together for the next generation.”