Bermudian pickleball standouts Gavin Manders and Benjamin Jones have concluded a highly successful campaign at the Pickle & Chill Christmas Classic in Kingston, Jamaica, departing with a complete set of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals.
The duo, who have become formidable fixtures on the regional circuit, capped their final tournament of 2025 with a series of hard-fought podium finishes that underscored their standing as one of the Caribbean's premier pairings.
The highlight of the tournament for the Bermudian contingent came in the Men’s Class A Doubles final. After comfortably defeating Aman Chatani and Derek Walcott 15-8 in the semi-finals, Manders and Jones faced the dangerous pairing of Armando Ferreira and Jamaal Hay in the championship match.
In a tense, back-and-forth encounter that went the distance, the Bermudian pair demonstrated superior chemistry and tactical discipline. Despite a second-set stumble, they secured the gold medal with a 11-5, 8-11, 11-8 victory, mirroring the doubles success they enjoyed at the Jamaica International Open earlier this year.
The singles bracket proved equally eventful for the pair. Gavin Manders surged into the gold medal match with a flawless 15-0 semi-final win over Brandon Tom. However, he found it a "tall task" to overcome Portugal’s Armando Ferreira—the 2025 World Cup MVP—in the final, eventually falling 11-4, 11-4 to claim the silver medal.
Benjamin Jones completed the medal set for Bermuda in the third-place playoff. After a narrow 15-13 semi-final loss to Ferreira, Jones regrouped to defeat Brandon Tom and secure the bronze medal, a significant achievement for the 22-year-old in his debut singles season.
The results mark a fitting end to a landmark year for both athletes, who have been instrumental in establishing Bermuda as a dominant force in regional pickleball throughout 2025.
