Anna Leigh Waters’ Malaysia Showcase Draws Fan Fury Over Overcrowding, Franklin Malaysia Apologises
It isn’t every day the world No. 1 comes to town—in this case, pickleball royalty Anna Leigh Waters no less. That makes it all the more frustrating when the day itself doesn’t go to plan.
Fans have expressed deep disappointment with the Anna Leigh Waters Asia Pro Showcase, held at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World at Empire City in Petaling Jaya on 17 October. Many claim tickets were oversold, leading to overcrowding, long entry queues, and limited meet-and-greet opportunities with Waters. Franklin Malaysia has since apologised.
Fans Lash Out
The complaints came thick and fast on social media, and the most frustrated were those who paid the most. Fan Chen Xi said she and her partner each paid RM1,300 for a VIP package, only to find themselves without seats and standing with their view obstructed. “You oversold the event,” she wrote, demanding a full refund.
Entrepreneur Azzim Zahid echoed her. Some people were even sitting on the ground, he said, and the players “didn’t have room to play.” He added that organisers surely knew the venue’s maximum capacity.
Actress Elfira Loy offered a more measured take, though hardly a glowing one. People stayed mostly for Waters, she said, and without her no one would have tolerated the night, but she still thanked the organisers for bringing the American to Malaysia. “Well done, Malaysians, you are all very patient and are good sports,” she added.
VIP package holders also said they missed out on merchandise and the meet-and-greet they had paid for, with some calling for full refunds.
Franklin Malaysia Responds
In a statement the following day, Franklin Malaysia apologised to attendees over the overcrowding, long queues, missed meet-and-greets, and unfulfilled package experiences. It said it would set up a dedicated channel for affected attendees to get in touch.
“We acknowledge where we fell short, and we take responsibility for making things right,” the company said, adding that its team was carefully reviewing the concerns and committed to finding fair and appropriate solutions.
What the statement did not say is when the channel would open or what those solutions might look like, and refunds, which some fans have demanded, weren’t addressed.
A Bump in the Road
The timing is unfortunate. Anna Leigh Waters’ four-country Southeast Asian tour, handled by Franklin Sports, opened in Manila, where she was warmly received by fans at Bonifacio High Street before exhibition matches at the Mall of Asia Arena. Malaysia, the next stop, was meant to build on that goodwill, and the pickleball-hungry crowds that turned up proved the appetite is there.
Then again, that appetite is exactly what makes the lesson so clear. Demand for the sport’s biggest names is outpacing the venues and logistics built to handle it, and when fans pay premium prices, they expect a premium experience.
Indeed, how Franklin Malaysia follows through on its promise will matter as much as the apology itself. For a sport whose Asian boom depends on goodwill, getting this right is no small thing.
