THE NEW HIGH COURT

We head to Pickle Social Club with some familiar faces to discover pickleball, touted to be the fastest growing sport in the country

- Lynette Ow and Aaron Pereira

It’s early Wednesday morning. The atmosphere is charged with the rhythmic exchange of volleys and the precise beat of paddles striking neon-yellow plastic balls. Two players, dressed in a combination of traditional tennis attire and casual athletic wear, stand either side of a net wielding solid rackets made from composite or wood materials designed for both power and control. Distinctive “pop” and “pock” sounds are followed by the higher-pitched “clink” of the ball hitting the court surface, resonating as players exhibit impressive agility and precision. Their swift movements involve shuffling sideways, lunging forward and executing sharp pivots. This is the scene that unfolds as the Tatler team enters the courts at Pickle Social Club (PSC)—a go-to destination for pickleball facilities for residents around the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) neighbourhood.

Pickleball has been making its presence felt around the world over the last decade and Southeast Asia is no exception. In the last five years, it has captured the hearts of Malaysians and is transforming them into enthusiastic paddle-wielders. In Malaysia, the sport’s popularity is evident in the increasing number of clubs and groups forming nationwide, the rising presence of improvised courts, and Malaysian participation in pickleball competitions in the region. At the Asia Pickleball Open 2024 held in February in Phuket, the Malaysian team of 46 players representing various states won a total of nine medals. After the first pickleball association was formed in Miri, Sarawak, in 2019, interest in the sport expanded to Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Penang and Pahang through local competitions and school initiatives. Today, there are three pickleball associations, with Negeri Sembilan and Penang as new additions in 2023, while over the past five years, an estimated 14 pickleball courts have cropped up throughout the nation.