US participation · millions
A letter to Asia's pickleball community · September 2026
Connecting Asia's Pickleball Community
Two shores, one bridge. Pickleball reached Asia fast — the next chapter should be written here, by the people who play here.
Asia's pickleball authority
The region's home for pickleball.
Players, courts, coaches, tournaments and equipment across Asia — in one authoritative place. Pickleball Asia tracks the people and venues growing the game from Tokyo to Jakarta, with directories, rankings and reporting written here, in the languages the region plays in.
pickleball.asia is Asia's official community network for the sport — the authoritative place where players, coaches, venues and brands across the region connect. As a Founding Partner you earn The Mark by joining the community — carrying it on your rackets, paddles and courts — not by passing a test or buying a licence.
Players & coaches · Equipment · Venues · Tournaments · Protection · Travel
01 Why now
The game is moving fast.
Pickleball is scaling from a pastime into an ecosystem. Asia can grow it with the community at the centre from day one.
people across Asia have tried pickleball at least once.
growth in awareness across Asia in one year.
fast-moving markets: Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong.
Sources: SFIA 2026 Topline Participation Report; UPA Asia × YouGov, State of Play in Asia (2025); DUPR market notes (October 2025).
02 What's missing
Growth needs a shared direction.
Everyone is growing separately.
Brands, courts, coaches and events are moving quickly. Without a common voice, the biggest marketing budget can become the loudest definition of quality.
Protection is still a blind spot.
The sport can bring years of movement and connection, especially to older players. Safer courts, smarter coaching and better preparation should grow with it.
Our belief is simple: the players should have a say.
2½ The authority
The definitive reference for pickleball in Asia.
When players, media, brands and organisers need to know who's who and what's where in Asian pickleball, this is where they look. One region, one authoritative source.
What we do
- Maintain Asia's authoritative directories and rankings of players, courts and coaches — the regional reference everyone cites.
- Report on the sport across every Asian market: the leagues, venues, policy shifts and stories that define the game here.
- Set the regional benchmark for quality — the venues, coaches and players carrying The Mark are the ones to know.
- Connect the people building pickleball across borders, so the best of each market travels to the rest.
- Champion protection and longevity — keeping the region's players in the game for the long run.
Why we lead
- Built in Asia, for Asia — not a rulebook imported from elsewhere, but the region's own authoritative voice.
- Independent and trusted — our rankings and directories are earned, never bought.
- Comprehensive — from Tokyo to Jakarta, we cover the markets no one else connects.
- The first place media, sponsors and newcomers turn to understand Asian pickleball.
- Open to all who play — social players, juniors, seniors and champions alike.
03 The mark
A sign that you are part of the conversation.
You will see this mark on the paddles, courts, clubs and events of our founding partners. It does not mean a product passed a test, or that a venue meets a specification written in another country. It means the person carrying it has joined this community — and committed to sharing openly with the rest of the region.
- 1Designed in the openAn open design call and public vote decide the final mark.
- 2Open to every partnerPaddle brands, venues, coaches, tournaments and travel partners can carry it.
- 3Earned by participationNot by passing a test. Carried by founding partners across Asia who share what works.
The founding partner fee is US$100. That's it.
It is not a licence. It is a way of saying “I'm in” that funds this site and the small team that carries it forward. No partner pays more to get in, and no one pays to move up. The mark can't be bought, only earned.
→ What the bridge carries
How one exchange works.
Every connection brings something, and needs something. When we understand each business's real challenge, someone in this community can usually help — and neither side pays the other for the privilege.
Hong Kong
A paddle brand wants distribution in Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh City
A venue chain wants demo gear and a sponsor.
Neither knew the other existed. Both cross the bridge. Example only — the real exchanges will come from the challenges founding partners tell us about.
04 An invitation
Join us as a founding partner.
Founding partners across all six connections — people and organisations who believe Asia's pickleball community is worth connecting, and who want to help it grow without losing what makes each place its own.
0 partners have joined the first table.
01You get a seatA vote on how the mark is defined and how this community grows.
02You get recognisedListed as a founding partner, and free to carry the mark.
03You get reachAs we connect Asia's community, we spread the word about our partners.
You do not get: exclusivity, a standard imposed on you, or a ranking against anyone else.
05 Questions
The things people ask first.
Who is behind Pickleball Asia?
Pickleball Asia is the region's independent reference for the sport — built by and for the players, coaches, venues, brands and organisers growing the game across every Asian market. It's where the community finds each other, and where players, media and partners come for authoritative directories, rankings and regional reporting. Open to all, owned by the community, written from Asia.
What does the mark mean?
It is a sign that you are part of the conversation. It does not mean a product passed a test, or that a venue meets a specification written in another country. It means the person carrying it has joined this community and committed to sharing openly with the region: what they've learned, what worked, what did not. The mark itself will be finalised with the community, through an open design call and a vote.
How is the US$100 used?
It is not a licence. It is a way of saying “I'm in” that funds this site and the small team that carries it forward. No partner pays more to get in, and no one pays to move up. The mark can't be bought — only earned.
Who can become a founding partner?
People and organisations across all six connections — players & coaches, equipment, venues, tournaments & events, protection & longevity, and travel. At every level, in every market. If you care about how the sport grows in Asia, there is a seat at the first table.
What makes Pickleball Asia the authority for the region?
We are Asia's definitive reference for the sport: the authoritative directories and rankings of players, courts and coaches, the reporting that covers every Asian market, and the benchmark The Mark that signals quality across the region. When media, sponsors, players and newcomers need to understand Asian pickleball, this is the source they turn to — built in Asia, trusted across Asia.
What language is this in?
English today — with Tiếng Việt, Bahasa Melayu, 中文 and Tagalog coming soon. The next chapter should be written here, by the people who play here, in all the languages they play it in.