EXCLUSIVE: UPA Asia Executive Talks About Trailblazers Programme, Describes It as a Search for Stars

A “search for Asia’s next pickleball stars.”

That’s how Kimberly Koh, Managing Director of United Pickleball Association Asia, described the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme to Pickleball News Asia (PNA) in an exclusive virtual interview. And it is part of the UPA’s bold ambition of growing the sport even more in the years ahead.

As it is, pickleball is in a good place already, with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) leading the way. According to Ms. Kimberly, over 320,000 fans attended PPA and MLP events in 2024, while Pickleball TV generated more than 1 billion minutes watched—and that’s all from the PPA and MLP only. Even more impressive, pro picklers under these two organisations, both of which are now under the auspices of the UPA, collectively earned more than USD $30 million in 2024.

“This success actually didn’t happen by chance, and that’s really reflected in that third stat [players making over USD $30 collectivey],” Ms. Kimberly pointed out. “I think what that really shows is that players are at the core of any sport. Players are really the key assets and that’s especially so for pickleball, which is still very much growing.”

Indeed, pickleball now has its own megastars driving the sport forward.

Ben and Colin Johns.

Federico Staksrud.

Anna Leigh Waters.

Dylan Frazier. 

The list goes on. Asia’s Quang Duong is part of that distinguished list, too. So is Zoey Wang.

“These players, essentially what they do is they serve as national icons. I mean, you know, we can tell very much in Asia where national icons are very, very important when we are talking about sporting talent. They help us to build fan bases. They inspire really the next generation of youth,” Ms. Kimberly explained.

Asia Has More to Offer in Terms of Pickleball Talent

Indeed, Asia has Duong and Wang on their way to national icon status. But the continent can be a goldmine for pickleball talent—and it is something the UPA fully understands. It is why the UPA is casting a wide net in Asia in the first place: to uncover these future pickleball superstars.

“In Asia, the community element is very, very strong. We also have a really long history of being good at racquet sports, right? So, whether it’s badminton, table tennis, tennis, you know, Asians are pretty good at racquet sports itself,” Ms. Kimberly said. “I think if we consider all of those different factors, it’s quite clear that the potential still hasn’t been realised yet, both on the participation and the pro level… What we really want to try and do with this program is to accelerate the growth of the sport and to truly turn pickleball into a global sport.”

This is where UPA Asia Trailblazer program comes into play, according to Ms. Kimberly.

“That is what the UPA Asia Trailblazer program is. It’s the first of its kind search for Asia’s next pickleball stars. It’s an opportunity for those who want to challenge themselves to compete with the best in the world,” she told PNA.

Who Can Join the UPA Asia Trailblazer Program and What’s in Store for Them?

Now, for the biggest, most important question of all: Who can join this search for a star?

It turns out, pretty much every passport-bearing Asian aged 18 to 29 is welcome to send in their application via https://upa-asia.com/applynow-trailblazer/. However, every application is subject to stringent evaluation by UPA Asia. Pro experience is certainly a bonus, as is decent DUPR rating. But they aren’t necessarily requirements, according to Ms. Kimberly.

“Whether they are already an active good player in the international scene or have a good DUPR rating or even if they’re just an ex-pro in another sport with minimal experience in pickleball [they can apply],” said Ms. Kimberly when asked about the programme’s application requirements. “If they’re really passionate about the sport and they can convince us that they have the makings of a future pro pickleballer and are willing to put in the hard work, these are these are things that we are looking at. So, you may not necessarily have the highest DUPR rating at the moment in order to be selected.”

Of course, UPA Asia will be putting a premium on talent in their search—never mind if it is still raw talent. Those who meet UPA Asia’s criteria and are fortunate enough to get selected will be in for a massive treat: an all-expenses paid training in the US for 90 days. This training, according to Ms. Kimberly, will focus on fitness, developing pickleball skills, and getting ready to play at the pro level. Asia’s next pickleball stars will also be put to the test right away in these three months as they will be entered into PPA tournaments as well.

But that’s not all.

Following the successful completion of the program, UPA Asia will then offer Asia’s new generation of picklers a two-year contract as a UPA Asia pro. This contract will include at least 10 events a year, predominantly in Asia but also in the US and Australia.

One-of-a-Kind, Once-in-a-Lifetime

Putting it simply, UPA Asia are offering what is essentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young picklers in Asia to grow with the sport. The hope, Ms. Kimberly said, is to inspire a generation of Asians to pick up pickleball not only as a hobby, but also as an opportunity to earn a living—and potentially become a national icon in the process.

“What we want to do is to inspire people to think about pickleball as a professional sport, something that they can make a living from, something that they can they can look to become a professional,” she said. “This program is really, I would say, the starting point. It’s really just the first of its kind to for us to really give that opportunity to players in Asia who have always looked to the US for inspiration, seeing how the market is growing so rapidly in the US. And they want that opportunity to actually play with the best.”

Indeed, the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme is a starting point. And given the meteoric rise of pickleball in Asia, this starting point can potentially snowball into something bigger and better: wave after wave of Asians turning pickleball pros, making good money, and standing proudly as national icons in their respective countries.

If you want to know more about the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme, click HERE. If you want to skip that and send in your application, go HERE.