Malaysia's Pickleball Moment: Panas Cup Ignites Passion and Skill on Global Stage
What's the Score?
The Panas Cup 2025 Pickleball Tournament in Malaysia is being hailed as a "defining event" that underlines a significant turning point for pickleball in the country. Organized by Vincent Siow, the tournament attracted around 1,000 participants and coincided with clinics and exhibition matches featuring world number 6 and Asian number 1, Quang Duong. The event showcased great competition and a strong sense of community cohesion, with many feeling the buzz for pickleball in Malaysia is now even bigger than in Vietnam. While Quang Duong's exhibition matches highlighted that the top Malaysian players still have some ground to cover to reach elite international levels, the tournament demonstrated a significant development in the standard of play in Malaysia over the past year.
Hit it deeper!
Vincent Siow's vision and passion were instrumental in bringing the Panas Cup 2025 to fruition. He not only organized the tournament but also built 9 Pickle, a pickleball court arena with 10 courts, including Malaysia's largest covered pickleball stadium with nearly 500 seats. This infrastructure investment underscores the growing commitment to pickleball in Malaysia. The decision to bring in Quang Duong, a top international player, for clinics and exhibition matches added significant prestige and learning opportunities to the event.
The six-day festival of pickleball was characterized by both intense competition and a remarkable sense of community spirit. Duc Duong, Quang's father, noted the strong passion for the sport in Malaysia, suggesting it might even surpass the enthusiasm in Vietnam. He also observed a substantial improvement in the skill level of Malaysian players in the past year, noting that the top players are beginning to close the gap with elites from countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and India.
However, Quang Duong's exhibition singles matches against top Malaysian players revealed that there is still a performance gap, with none of them managing to score more than 2 points against him. Despite this, the strong performance of local teams like the ESM elite squad, with Faizal Othman and Razlan Rawi winning the men’s 35+ open, demonstrated the growing talent within Malaysia. Vincent Siow himself secured a bronze medal in the same category.
Pickleball News Asia (PNA) highlighted several key aspects of the Panas Cup, including the sense that the sport in Malaysia is at an "inflexion point". Elite players are making strides towards international standards, and the community is expanding while maintaining a strong connected feel. The event fostered a sense of camaraderie that is unique to the sport.
PNA also noted three significant highlights: the ambidextrous play of 14-year-old Bao Doung, the impressive performance of young talents Ithan and Irfan Kamil (12 and 15 years old) who reached the last 16 in the men’s doubles open, and the strong unity of the diverse Malaysian pickleball community in support of the event.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The Panas Cup 2025 signifies a pivotal moment for pickleball in Malaysia, showcasing both the rapid growth in participation and the increasing skill level of its players. Vincent Siow's dedication has provided a crucial platform for the sport's development, and the presence of a top international player like Quang Duong has offered valuable exposure and learning opportunities. While the exhibition matches highlighted the existing gap with elite international competitors, the overall success of the tournament and the noticeable improvement in local talent indicate a promising trajectory for Malaysian pickleball. The strong community spirit fostered at the Panas Cup bodes well for the future, creating a supportive environment for further growth and the emergence of top-tier Malaysian players on the global stage. This event will likely be remembered as a key milestone in the evolution of pickleball in Malaysia.