Free Pickleball for All Primary Schools and New Courts in Exciting Malaysia Developments
by Joe James
What’s the Story?
Malaysia has revealed thrilling new pickleball initiatives, granting primary school students free access to professional facilities beginning in April 2025.
The newly established Pickleball Stadium at Kenanga Wholesale City in Kuala Lumpur will be open to students nationwide from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
E-Motion Sdn Bhd leads this initiative as part of a public-private partnership, offering court access, equipment, and professional coaching free of charge.
Hannah Yeoh, Youth and Sports Minister, said in a Facebook post: “Each one of these courts in not just a facility, but a beacon of hope to birth a MADANI generation who is active, committed and united.
“My hope is that we continue to use sports as a national unity language.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s MADANI framework and the National Sports Vision 2030 emphasise grassroots development and accessibility to sports.
This news comes at the same time as a group of eight school friends in Malaysia have launched Pickle Nation in Sha Alam, a new pickleball centre featuring 12 courts to cater for the demand for the sport.
Created in response to a lack of available courts, the group have invested RM2 million of their savings to create the facility.
The friends for nearly three decades come from a badminton background but began playing pickleball after one of them picked up a knee injury.
Malaysia is committed to providing the best facilities to develop the game, with seemingly new franchises popping up weekly.
Going Deeper
The Malaysian government have committed to a new pickleball initiative which will see all primary school students have free access to professional facilities beginning in April 2025.
This initiative aligns with the MADANI Economy framework, which encourages innovation and inclusivity to strengthen Malaysia’s economy in technology and productivity.
As part of this, the free access is part of the National Sports Vision 2030, aiming to transform the country into a genuine sporting powerhouse.
Pickle Nation in Shah Alam has 12 high-quality courts built to tournament standards, including a restaurant, a lounge, and even ice baths in collaboration with Warrior Plunge, as well as a gear and merchandise store. The centre is open from 8 a.m. until 1 a.m., with the founders aspiring for this to be a central hub for pickleball in Malaysia.
Malaysia is ranked fourth highest in the world for the most DUPR users, and this surge has seen a sharp rise in facilities and the desire to play the game.
In big centres such as the capital Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and Penang, numerous futsal, badminton, and basketball courts have been converted into pickleball courts to accommodate the growing interest.
Dedicated pickleball venues, such as the newly opened Pickle Nation and ESM Pickters Club, were founded in 2023 at one of the country’s premier universities, University Malaya. Pickle Social Club is another facility to open in recent years, and both here and ESM are reportedly fully booked for months on end.
The commitment to engage with younger demographics in Malaysia has seen organisations such as the Ansara Malaysia Pickleball Club (APC) help to promote the sport in the youth sphere. With over 30,00 registered members, 34 different chapters, and over 150 successful events, Ansara is making substantial strides under three core functions of local tournaments and events, coaching and development for all ages, and securing funding and sponsorship to sustain the sport.
Pickleball Stories Malaysia, which can be found on Facebook, are a community-oriented group that documents and shares positive experiences and offers support for players of all ages, creating an accessible and welcome atmosphere.
The World Pickleball Verdict
Malaysia’s commitment to growing the game of pickleball through new facilities and giving free accessibility to the youth is something to praise without a doubt. The ability to play the game is not just coming from the conversion of existing sports courts but the rise in dedicated venues that aren’t just accommodating pickleball but pushing it as a sporting main event.
It is encouraging that the government are so committed to developing sport for the entire country as part of the MADANI Economy network and free facilities for primary school children, but as always, only time will truly tell how successful they are.
Malaysia has a strong love for racket sports, as shown by its badminton frenzy, but pickleball is hot on its heels, and over time, you could genuinely see it on the same level here. The projections I have written about previously seem to suggest this too. Look at the new Pickle Nation facility: all eight founders were from a badminton background but switched to pickleball due to its accessibility.
These processes do take time, though. Pickleball, it is worth remembering, is still in its early stages in Malaysia, and it will take a few years to truly establish itself, but the signs are very positive. The key now will be to develop pickleball outside of the capital and other larger centres and across the country as a whole, but the free access is a great place to start, and with the commitment from the APC, hopefully, Malaysia’s pickleball dreams will be fully realised.