Bobo Delaney to be Inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame

January 6, 2016
Pittsburgh, PA

Barbara “Bobo” Delaney of Chatham, New Jersey, has been voted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame by the APTA.

Delaney, who has won 19 national titles in her distinguished four-decade career, will join Chris Gambino and Mike Gillespie as this year’s honorees. The daughter of APTA Hall of Famer Nancy Mangan, Delaney will be inducted on Feb. 5 during the Short Hills Invitational – in the town in which she first made her mark as a star junior player.

Delaney started collecting national championships as a teenager, winning the 18-and-under Junior Nationals in 1976 and 1978. She then won the Women’s Nationals in 1989, followed by five Mixed Nationals titles between 2002 and 2011 – tying her with Hall of Famers Hilary Hilton Marold and Charlotte Lee for the most mixed titles of all time.

Delaney has also had outstanding success in senior play, capturing six titles in the 40s division and five more in the 50s division.

“Bobo is known in our sport as a master strategist and the ultimate role player,” said Steve Baird, chairman of the APTA’s Hall of Fame committee. “She thrives on being the one setting up the play, thinking three shots ahead and hitting that lob just a little deeper or the shot just a little farther out of reach to ultimately force a weak shot from her opponent. Her opponents know she will battle them physically and mentally for every point.”

When she’s not competing, Delaney supports the game by spreading her knowledge, experience, and passion throughout New Jersey as a teaching professional. She is a Professional Platform Tennis Association (PPTA) certified pro and a former PPTA Tester.

“Bobo has had a career of excellence and longevity at the highest level,” added Baird. “She has achieved distinction in the play of paddle and is worthy of this great honor.”

Gambino and Gillespie will be inducted in a separate ceremony at this year’s Nationals in Darien, Connecticut, on March 4.