Not even being bumped off his return flight to Bermuda can shake the smile off the face of Gavin Manders after a successful stint as team leader at the Caribbean Pickleball Championships.

Manders, the national pickleball director, was taken off his oversubscribed flight from New York in order not to split a group of 36 children from Saltus Grammar but at least has the memories of a huge medal haul to sustain him for the next 24 hours.

Manders, Sasha Fisher, Imani Phillips, and Benjamin Jones helped Bermuda to win gold in the team event, with juniors Jaden Jones and Owen Stewart winning gold and silver in the junior division. Myra Virgil, Marie-Helene Pare, George Thomas and Mical Russell also made it on to the podium in the Cayman Islands.

“The best way to sum it up is that we solidified ourselves as the regional leader,” Manders said.

“It really highlighted the work that myself as the national pickleball director and the Pickleball Association of Bermuda are doing. This is just an accumulation of the work in us going down there, performing and showing what we’re made of.”

Manders is particularly happy about the wide range of ages on display, with Bermuda represented in both junior and senior divisions at the tournament.

“Competing is something that I love to do and I love to inspire, play and share my passion on the court but the main thing is to show what pathways are here for the next generation,” Manders said.

“That’s why we had Jaden on the team so he can experience some of that and at times when we needed to rest he played his role. Mical Russell was on his first trip representing Bermuda at pickleball and he assisted when he could.

“We also have Imani, who is an up and comer, while Jaden and Owen won medals, so this is about development, growth and showing what pickleball can do for future generations and what it can do to change their lives in a positive way.

“I’ve led a lot of teams and honestly it’s refreshing to have such a wide range of ages. When things do come up, they just need to be spoken about as they are and the focus needs to be on the competition. The majority of the time we were able to figure that out.”

Manders played through the pain barrier after injuring his pectoral muscle a few days before the start of the tournament and he was forced to play within himself at times to ensure he lasted the duration of the tournament.

“If it was too bad I would have had to lay it down but I could manage it,” Manders said.

“It was a case of maintenance and working my way through the earlier stages. I had to put the ego aside and play at a certain percentage until the day that it really mattered.

“I would have loved to get the gold in the singles as I feel like I was the best singles player, which I showed on the last day, but I had to put the team first and It was an accomplishment to push through the pain and play in a way that allowed me to make it to the last day and still give my best.

“Obviously, that worked out from a team perspective but I had to take a bronze in the singles when I could have got gold. But at the end of the tournament I felt more growth as a leader and more growth as a team player.

“Winning medals is great but it’s more inspiring to show the next generation how to compete, how to handle yourself and how you deal with pressure. I’m here to share my experience.”

After guiding Bermuda to team victory on Sunday, an emotional Manders wore a T-shirt honouring his grandmother Marlene and his mother Disa Oubella.

“Marlene Manders was the matriarch of the Manders family and all the great athletes that we have owe our entire success to what she has done for our family,” Manders said.

“So when the big moments come up like when we were down in the finals and the odds were against us, I know that it is bigger than me. Her and my mum were very close so when I went into the dreambreaker they were there with me and that’s why I put the shirt on when I went to the podium because I am just an extension of the people who helped build me to where I am today.

“I always try to do that and it makes it even more special when you pull through, knowing that they are looking down. I’m pleased and proud of the success and that they helped to create it.”

Manders has big plans for pickleball and Bermuda’s players may not have to leave the island to play in the Caribbean Championships next year.

“The Caribbean Pickleball Championships is supposed to be in Bermuda in 2026,” Manders said.

“We have a few things we need to solidify with government. We’ve spoken about this before but we just need to tie up a few loose ends with airlines and making sure that the Miami flight is in action.

“But I can say with confidence that barring a big setback the Caribbean Championships will be in Bermuda in 2026.”