KUCHING Sarawak, Malaysia, 2 May 2024: Sarawak is about to make pickleball history with the #BorneoPickleball International Tournament, Malaysia and Borneo’s largest pickleball competition with a prize pool of MYR20,000.
The tournament will be held in Kuching from 9 to 12 October, and approximately 500 players and 2,000 visitors from the region are expected to participate.
Kuching Pickleball Association is the main Tournament organiser, while BESarawak is the Exclusive Strategic Advisor and provides in-kind support to the Association in creating a sustainable and gold-standard international event.
The International Tournament is endorsed by the Malaysian and Sarawak Pickleball Associations at the Association level. At the Government level, it is endorsed by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak and the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak.
Pickleball is inclusive across all ages and abilities, fostering interaction among diverse industries and communities. The tournament is open to corporate organisations, public sectors, associations and clubs, and other communities and individuals interested in joining.
The Honourable Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak and Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak, commenting on the tournament at a recent media event said: “The International Tournament is relevant for Sarawak to strengthen its destination profile in sports and sports tourism. As the host of SUKMA 2024, Sarawak is already in the spotlight; the International Pickleball Tournament is another strategic opportunity to show Sarawak’s ability to host global sporting events and boost our image as a sports tourism destination.”
“With more sports associations developing new events in Sarawak, we attract new sports facilities and infrastructure investments. As demonstrated in this pickleball tournament, growing and sustaining our sporting communities requires education, engagement, collaboration and inclusion.”
As the Exclusive Strategic Advisor, BESarawak’s contribution is to guide the Kuching Pickleball Association in developing a sporting event that can be sustained. According to Dato Sri Abang Haji Abdul Karim bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Chairman of BESarawak, “it can be a recurring event and transformed into a potential legacy for the pickleball community and Sarawak’s sports tourism.
“The tournament’s outreach goes beyond the competition itself as the Kuching Pickleball Association partners with us to include the ‘Books Build Legacy’ corporate social responsibility programme with a target of 2,000 book donations in aid of Sarawak’s rural schools.
“Community development is always a priority for us in the industry, and the tournament is a product of collaboration between business event players uniting for change. This is our contribution to developing Associations and major events.”
Ruslan Bujang, President of the Kuching Pickleball Association, noted: “Pickleball is a healthy way of managing stress, living an active lifestyle, and building new friendships and connections. The tournament is a great opportunity for cross-cultural exchange between Malaysian and International communities, bridging the worlds of sports and education through this tournament, where players compete while making meaningful contributions to local communities.”
All about Pickleball
In 2023, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) of the USA deemed pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America for the third consecutive year.
Age: Pickleball was traditionally popular with seniors, but it’s gaining traction across all ages. The biggest demographic is actually 18 to 34-year-olds, though people of all ages can enjoy it. https://www.pickleheads.com/blog/pickleball-statistics.
Accessibility: It’s a relatively easy sport to learn and doesn’t require a lot of physical strain, making it appealing for people with varying fitness levels.
Today, the International Federation of Pickleball boasts 70 member countries, with Malaysia joining as an Associated Member in November 2019.
According to a report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals, more than 36.5 million people play pickleball, and participation in tournaments and leagues worldwide is growing.
Pickleball gains ground in Malaysia
Even though pickleball only debuted in Malaysia in 2019, it is fast becoming a popular sport, judging from the number of registered pickleball associations and the growing number of established pickleball courts. Miri, Sarawak, has the honour of having the first registered Pickleball association in Malaysia in 2019.
In Sarawak, Pickleball has been gaining momentum, and a number of local tournaments have been organised. In fact, several schools have introduced the sport into their curriculum.
Kuching Pickleball Association (KPA) explained that previous local tournaments around Miri and Kuching attracted international participation, with players from Singapore, Egypt, Iraq and the US. Realising the huge potential of pickleball as an international sport, KPA is organising an international pickleball tournament in Kuching, Sarawak and to instil the tournament international branding KPA has named it the ‘#Borneo Pickleball International Tournament’.
Business Events Sarawak of Sarawak Convention Bureau supports this tournament.
Tournament categories
- Open (Team) category
- Five subcategories: Mixed Doubles, Women’s Doubles, Men’s Doubles, Veteran Doubles, Men’s Singles
- Maximum 48 teams
- Registration fee of RM1,200 per team
- Prizes between RM1,250 (including medal) to RM10,000 (including trophy and medal)
- Women’s Single category
- Maximum 24 players
- Registration fee of RM100 per player
- Prizes between RM125 to RM1,000 (all inclusive of medals)
- Novice category
- Maximum 24 pairs
- Registration fee of RM50 per pair
- Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals are up for grabs
The #BorneoPickleball International Tournament is in partnership with:
- Sarawak Tourism Board (Promotion Partner)
- Malaysia Airlines (Airline Partner)
- Grand Margherita Hotel and Riverside Majestic Hotel (Hotel Partners)
- CPH Travel (Travel Agency Partner)
Teams and individuals wishing to join must register for a Pickleball Global ID at https://pickleball.global/. ID registration is free, and accumulated points at the #BorneoPickleball International Tournament can be applied to global tournaments.
Registration for the Tournament closes on 31 August 2024. For regular Tournament updates, visit BESarawak’s Facebook page (@BESarawak). For full details on the tournament, including Registration QR codes, refer to the Attachments enclosed in the folder here. For more tournament information, contact Ruslan Bujang, President of the Kuching Pickleball Association, at +6019-888-8160.
