by Joe James
What’s the Story?
Pickleball’s emergence in Malaysia shows no signs of slowing down with the announcement of the inaugural Pickleball Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur and the first-ever KL Open Pickleball Championship.
The summit will be held on April 25 and coincides with the Kuala Lumpur Open Pickleball Championship 2025, which will run from April 25 to April 27 at the Pickle Social Club (PSC) courts at the KLGCC Resort.
The KL Championship is expected to attract over 600 players, making it one of the largest pickleball tournaments in Malaysia’s history.
Backed by Courtsite, the Malaysia Pickleball Association and Alliance Bank, who are the first bank to champion pickleball, reflects a high demand and interest in the sport.
Holders of an Alliance Bank Visa Virtual Credit Card can enjoy benefits such as priority court bookings and cashback incentives.
The Pickleball Summit, held at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, aims to gather over 300 facility owners, investors, suppliers, and stakeholders to discuss the pickleball boom in Malaysia and create new partnerships.
Group Chief Consumer Banking Officer of Alliance Bank, Gan Pai Li said: “The rapid growth of pickleball in Malaysia presents an exciting opportunity for us to engage with this vibrant community.
“The growing presence of both Pickle Social Club and Courtsite in the sports and social scene provides an excellent platform for us to connect with diverse communities,” Gan explained. “We believe that this partnership will enable us to further engage with the growing pickleball community and set the stage for the sport’s next phase of growth in the country.”
The Recap
Pickleball found a home in Malaysia in 2019 and has since become the 5th biggest country of DUPR users in the world.
Pickleball is growing in popularity in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region, with a projected annual growth rate of 24.5% from 2024 to 2029.
The country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, has seen a rapid increase in participation, investment and dedicated facilities.
Established in 2023, the Pickle Social Club (PSC) offers players state-of-the-art facilities, including open and covered courts and will be the venue of the Kuala Lumpur Open Pickleball Championship this April.
The Pickle Point Malaysia facility features five indoor and outdoor courts and caters for players of all ability levels, which comes as a commitment to the plea from the Malaysian Pickleball Association for more dedicated venues to accommodate the pickleball craze.
The KL City Pickleball venue is open 24/7 for players to enjoy a game, which can be booked through Courtsite.
Outside the capital, the Hyprground facility in Petaling Jaya is another popular destination.
It isn’t just Kuala Lumpur’s development of pickleball facilities that is aiding the growth of the sport, with many organisations and sponsors becoming more involved and invested.
Educational institutions such as Universiti Malaya have integrated pickleball into their sports programs, and Chariot Agency, a major national advertiser, has committed to investing in two of Malaysia’s leading pickleball teams.
This year also holds another milestone for pickleball in Malaysia as it hosted the first-ever public pickleball tournament in the country called The Flying Pickle Tournament.
April’s summit in Kuala Lumpur will offer market and investment insights and expert-led panels as well as networking opportunities, all in aid of pickleball’s growth in Malaysia.
The summit will be held on April 25, with the KL Open Championship starting on the same day (April 25) and culminating on April 27.
The World Pickleball Verdict
Growing infrastructure, corporate investment and a growing player base indicate Malaysia is a major pickleball hub in Asia.
With a projected annual growth rate of 24.5% for the sport from 2024 to 2029, alongside the upcoming events of the summit and championship this April, this is a promising future for Malaysia’s pickleball prospects.
There is a clear commitment to not just offering facilities but facilities that are of the highest standard and cater to all ability levels. Having accessibility supersedes other factors because the only true way to grow a sport is through consistent participation.
It is telling that the upcoming KL Open is set to be one of the largest pickleball tournaments in Malaysian history as it is demonstrating that the country is not just embracing the sport but also reaching for new heights.
The involvement of sponsors and partners like Alliance Bank and Courtsite are indicative of the confidence investors have in the sport’s future.
Kuala Lumpur is seemingly a pickleball hotspot, which could see Malaysia becoming a flagship destination for the sport in the next five years.
For now, the attention turns to April in what is set to be an exciting opportunity for Malaysia to discuss the future but celebrate the present of the sport.
With the Pickleball Summit and the KL Open Championship taking place next month, expect plenty of Malaysian pickleball news.