What’s the Score?
Tokyo, Japan – A delegation of 11 pickleball players from Guam travelled to Tokyo to compete in the PJF Pickleball Championships 2025, but they found themselves battling more than just their opponents. Held at the Ariake Tennis Park, the tournament was defined by near-freezing temperatures and gusty winds—conditions starkly different from the tropical climate of Guam. Despite the environmental shock, the team managed a respectable showing, with the pair of Jane Quitano and Anita Feria reaching the bronze medal match in their division.
Hit it deeper!
The Guam contingent, bundled in wool hats and puffy jackets, faced a steep learning curve adapting to the winter conditions. Robert Bartonico, a coordinator for Team Guam, explained that the cold significantly altered the ball’s behaviour and the players’ physical ability to react. “Waiting in between matches is where we really felt the cold,” Bartonico noted.
Despite these hurdles, Jane Quitano and Anita Feria advanced to the semifinals in the senior women’s doubles (Skill 3.5/Age 50-59). They ultimately fell to the Japanese duo of Yukiko Pauli and Miki Watanabe 15-4. Quitano candidly admitted that the wind and chill acted as a barrier to their success, stating, “We didn’t play like we wanted it”. However, Feria emphasized pride in their resilience, noting they played their best given the circumstances and succeeded in putting “Team Guam on the map”.
In the mixed doubles division, Connie and Robert Bartonico managed a 4-2 record in round-robin play, advancing to the round of 16 before being eliminated by the eventual champions.
The World Pickleball Verdict
This tournament serves as a stark reminder of the “home court advantage” climatic conditions provide in outdoor pickleball. For players from tropical regions like Guam, competing in a Japanese winter requires not just tactical adjustments, but physiological ones. However, the bigger takeaway is the realisation of the skill gap. Robert Bartonico observed that a 3.0 player in Japan plays at a level comparable to a 4.0 in Guam. This insight is invaluable; it signals that for regions like Guam to be competitive internationally, they must recalibrate their rating systems and intensify their coaching and drilling standards to match the rapidly rising global bar set by nations like Japan.
