UPA Asia has announced the athletes who made the cut for UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme Season 2. A total of 16 of the region’s top young players were selected after an intensive pre-selection training camp at Infinity Academy in December.
Eight of these sixteen athletes were selected for the Trailblazers Programme and earned for themselves a two-year UPA Asia Pro Contract. They will also take part in six-week immersions in America’s pickleball heartland, and will train under top coaches at world-class facilities. Additionally, they will receive comprehensive media training, and compete on the Carvana PPA Tour alongside the sport’s best. The programme, in short, will provide everything these athletes need to develop their skills, build their profiles, and thrive at the highest level of professional pickleball.
The Trailblazers are:
Trailblazers
- Tya Karina Aditya (INA)
- Julian Chow (HKG)
- Mihae Kwon (KOR)
- Dang Ngo (VIE)
- Tang Nok Yiu (HKG)
- Syed Uzair (MAS)
- Colin Wong (MAS)
- Anni Xie (CHN)
Aside from these Trailblazers, UPA Asia also named eight Rising Stars. These young talents secured one-year UPA Asia Pro Contracts with comprehensive athlete pathway assistance, media training, and development support under expert guidance, as they establish themselves on the PPA Tour Asia.
Selected as the Rising Stars are:
Rising Stars
- Timothy Foo (MAS)
- Yunqi He (CHN)
- Paranya Jareonvongrayab (THA)
- Pei-Yu Lai (TPE)
- Longsheng Liu (CHN)
- Christian Josua Luna (PHI)
- Anh Hoang Nguyen (VIE)
- Seina Shima (JPN)
Watch the Class of 2026 take the courts in Asia and the USA over the coming months, as they are locked in and ready to compete.
