Pickleball Isn’t a Threat to Other Sports, Must Be Embraced—Malaysian Sports Analyst, Badminton Leader
There’s no question Malaysia is emerging as a pickleball hub in Asia. The fact that it now has the largest user base of DUPR is testament to this meteoric rise—something pickleball instructor Edward Chan thinks will continue in the years to come.
This growing popularity, apparently, has left fans and players of other racket sports—badminton and tennis, in particular—less than thrilled. In fact, they’re purportedly threatened by it.
Local sports analyst Mohd Sadek Mustafa isn’t buying this concern, noting that badminton and tennis are well-established in Malaysia already, while pickleball offers more sporting opportunities for Malaysians—the new generation, in particular.
“There should be no problem with long-established racket sports such as badminton and tennis continuing to be popular,“ Mustafa noted. “This is because from a marketing aspect, these sports (badminton and tennis) have developed so widely. Therefore, it (pickleball) will not interfere with existing sports.”
Mustafa, who is also a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, also sees pickleball bringing in many benefits to communities, the sports industry as a whole, and even the Malaysian economy. In fact, he expects the rise of pickleball to contribute to the nation’s economic growth through marketing and sports equipment.
There’s Room for All Sports—Including Pickleball
Datuk V. Subramaniam, Acting President of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), understands the resentment some might feel towards pickleball. However, he’s encouraging everyone to celebrate the sport rather than criticise it. He also made clear that pickleball shouldn’t be viewed as a threat to badminton—or any other popular sport.
“This is interesting because badminton is a very tedious game and pickleball is not such, right? Badminton is badminton. Pickleball is pickleball,” Subramaniam told Bernama.
He also emphasised the unifying power of sports as another compelling reason to embrace pickleball, not push it away.
“In the future, there could be many new sports but I don’t see how it’s a threat to badminton… and nothing is wrong. I welcome all sports because, I would say, it is the only thing or entity which keeps people united,” he said.
Pickleball Is Okay Overall
Maria Fauzana Ghazali, Honorary Secretary of the Kuala Lumpur Lawn Tennis Association, acknowledges the perceived threat pickleball poses to tennis given its undeniable popularity nowadays. But she doesn’t thing it’s a cause of concern.
“Pickleball is a sport that people can pick up (learn) quickly. Like tennis, if you play it from a young age, it is a bit difficult,” she said. “So (tennis lovers) are afraid when things like this happen, (that) people will focus more on pickleball. Maybe it is a threat in terms of talent, but in other aspects, I think it is okay.”
For Ghazali, the fact that pickleball is also a great option to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle is enough reason to welcome pickleball with open arms in Malaysia’s robust sporting landscape.
“We have to celebrate (pickleball) because everyone can play. Why do we want to stop them? This is one of the ways people take care of their health,” she pointed out.
From the looks of it, more and more Malaysians are embracing pickleball with open arms. That being said, there’s space for all sports in Malaysia’s sporting landscape—and pickleball just happens to be carving its own niche.
But whether it reaches the level of tennis and badminton, only time will tell. It’s off to a great start, though.
