Jimmy Liong, Ken Tam Headline UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme Class of 2025
The United Pickleball Association (UPA) has announced the first pickleball trailblazers of Asia—the 12 members who will comprise the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme Class of 2025
The programme, part of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) Asia’s commitment to position pickleball as a leading sport across the region, aims to identify professional talent in Asia and help transform them into national icons.
The 12 trailblazers are as follows:
- Jimmy Liong (Malaysia)
- Ken Tam (Vietnam)
- Ryan Ng (Singapore)
- Sophia Tran (Vietnam)
- Jamie Wei (Chinese Taipei)
- Marco Leung (Macau)
- Liu Longsheng (China)
- Yufei Long (China)
- Hseih Chen-An (Chinese Taipei)
- Kim Eunggwon (Korea)
- Mia Athilla (Malaysia)
- Mayu Ito (Japan)
The UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme serves to increase the competitiveness and recognition of Asia talents, ensure localised content for the region, and boost pickleball as a professional spectator sport. Moreover, the programme creates a high-performance pathway through the integrated PPA and MLP system, establishing partnerships that bridge the United States and Asia.
Kimberly Koh, Managing Director of United Pickleball Association Asia, described the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme as a search for stars and hopes to find them through this programme.
“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 told PNA. “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.”
“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,” Ms. Kimberly further said.
Liong, Tam, and company 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.
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.
