$50k Prize Pool Sets Record at The Dink Minor League Pickleball National Championship
The Dink Minor League Pickleball is on track to set multiple new records in 2024, making it the world's most successful amateur team pickleball tour.
The unique, team-based format mirrors Major League Pickleball where players compete in groups of four. Two men and two women face off against other teams, playing four games and a unique tie-break format called a Dreambreaker where players compete in a singles match, rotating players every four points.
Jason Flamm
The team format has proven wildly successful with amateur players, who celebrate having a team cheering on the sidelines during their matches. It's no wonder that The Dink Minor League Pickleball has exploded this year.
Here are some of the milestones that have been reached:
Largest Prize Pool for an Amateur Team Tournament
Simply qualifying for the National Championships brings enough bragging rights to last a lifetime. But if bragging rights weren't enough, the total prize pool is a staggering $50k, the largest on record for an amateur team event!
Most Players & Events of a Team Tour
This year, the total number of events has reached over 125 (double that of 2023) and registered over 10,500 players. We can safely say that no other amateur team-based tour has reached those numbers (and perhaps outside of the PPA, neither have any regular amateur tours).
Minor League Pickleball Across the Globe
The Dink Minor League Pickleball isn't just restricted to the United States - this year we've hosted events in six different countries, with China and India creating their first stops at the latter half of this year.
Largest Prize Pool for DUPR 22 Pool
The winners of the DUPR 22 bracket will receive $3,500 in prize money and secure a place at the Pickleball World Rankings National Championships. The team will be able to compete in a traditional tournament bracket, earning an additional $3k appearance fee per bracket they compete in.
The Dink Media Team
Pickleball Players Spanning 60 Years
The appeal of the team-based format has brought players both young and old. The youngest player on the tour this year was just 10 years old and the oldest, 70!
The Dink Media Team
The First Amateur Tour to Integrate Fantasy Brackets
Competing in The Dink Minor League Pickleball isn't restricted to the court. This year, fantasy pickleball was brought onto the scene where players can build their own custom Minor League Pickleball teams and compete for prizes.
Jason Flamm
National Championships Set For Dec 13-15
The countdown is on to The Dink Minor League Pickleball national championships, scheduled for December 13-15 in Missouri. You can watch the event live on The Dink YouTube channel.
