KUALA LUMPUR: Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.
Malaysia, and Kuala Lumpur in particular, have consistently ranked No. 1 in the number of Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) users. It came as no surprise that Malaysia was high on the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) list when it looked to expand into Asia.
“We’ve spent a lot of time trying to help nurture the sport globally. We’ve done work in Europe and with Pickleball England as we began building this Global Pickleball Alliance and forming relationships worldwide,” said APP president Mike Polisky on the sidelines of the ongoing APP Kuala Lumpur Open at Playa Racquet Club @ PARC Subang.
“We had the privilege of getting to know Marc (Chua) and Caryn (Yap), and I believe Malaysia is probably the hottest country in the world right now for pickleball.
“We were incredibly fortunate to establish a partnership with them. We’re pleased to be here, and this is just the beginning of what’s going to happen in Southeast Asia.”
Chua and Yap are behind Rallyworld International, the official licensee for APP in Malaysia.
Chua is also the organising chairman of the APP Kuala Lumpur Open, which has entered the Malaysia Book of Records for the ‘Largest participation in a pickleball competition’, with 1,760 entries.
“We believe this tournament is the beginning of many years of collaboration to help grow the sport,” said Polisky.
“The fact that our inaugural tournament here has entered the Malaysia Book of Records shows that we were right to choose Malaysia as our first stop.
“We’ve seen numbers like this in the United States on occasion, but to achieve this scale in Malaysia for a first major tournament with us is humbling.”
Polisky described the turnout as a powerful indication of the sport’s growth and evolution, adding that pickleball has clearly taken off worldwide.
He said the sport is special in that it is “gender-neutral, multi-generational, affordable, accessible, a great workout and highly social”, qualities he believes the world has not seen combined in one sport before. All of which has led Polisky to envision it being included in the Olympic Games as early as 2032.
Polisky is hopeful pickleball will be in the Olympic Games as early as 2032.
For a sport to be included in the Olympic Games, it must meet two important criteria:
• A single, unified international governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
• The sport must be played by men in at least 75 countries on four continents and by women in at least 40 countries on three continents.
Participation numbers are not an issue, but there are several pickleball world bodies. However, they are working towards forming a unified world association.
“We just need to ensure the international governing body is set up properly and that all participants, levels and logistics are aligned. Hopefully, we’ll see pickleball in the Olympic Games as early as 2032,” said Polisky.
“I hope people will put aside any egos or greed that may stand in the way and unite behind a sport that’s making such a positive impact worldwide.
“There’s still some work to be done, but I believe we’re getting very close.”
Another factor working in the sport’s favour is that Brisbane will host the 2032 Olympic Games, and pickleball is hugely popular in Australia.
Separately, a key element driving the sport’s growth is the creation of a unified global ranking system, which Polisky believes is vital for its future.
“It should be inclusive,” he said. “You should be able to play professionally anywhere in the world.
“A unified rating and ranking system allows everyone to compete on a more equitable footing, and it also enables professionals from across the globe to travel, compete and have their events genuinely mean something.”
The system reflects the spirit of inclusivity that the APP is promoting in its push for global recognition of the sport.
Images: Asiana.my
