A SEPTUAGENARIAN clinched gold despite meeting his doubles partner on the same day he won his medal.

Frank Coldwell, from Stanford in the Vale, won gold alongside John Lloyd-Jones at the English National Pickleball Championship held in Bolton.

Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, with players using paddles to hit a plastic ball.

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Coldwell, 75, lifted the men’s 70+ doubles gold even though he met Lloyd-Jones on the morning of their victory.

The duo recovered from defeat in their opening match to qualify for the knockout stages, before securing victory in the final against the same pair, David Bungard and Stephen Rees, that had inflicted their first defeat earlier in the day.

Coldwell said: “To beat them in the final was poetic. We got better as a team as the games went by.

“At the end, I think the players we beat were arguably better than we were but we managed to creep over the line and beat them 2-1. It was a proper final. It couldn’t be better.”

Coldwell, who runs his local pickleball club in Stanford in the Vale, added: “It is a game where I can beat my grandkids and they hate it because they’re supposed to win.

“It is a terrific game for any age. Everywhere you go, everybody is really friendly and helpful.

“When you retire, it is good to have a lot of things to do and one that keeps you super fit. All the people I know in the village just love it.”