Pickleball could soon have a place at Southeast Asia’s biggest multi-sport event. The Malaysia Pickleball Association (MPA), whose suspension has supposedly been lifted already, says it will apply to include the sport as a demonstration sport at the 2027 SEA Games, which Malaysia will host, with a proposed budget of about RM250,000.
MPA president Datuk Khoo Khiam Ping said the association will seek support from the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), the Malaysia SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games Organising Committee (MASOC) and the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) to make the proposal a reality.
The proposal also needs backing from at least six countries willing to send athletes and officials to take part.
Speaking to reporters at Bernama’s Pahang Bureau, Khoo said MPA would propose three events: men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Keeping the number small is deliberate. “We do not want too many categories as this would increase the costs of organising the event and participation for each contingent,” he said.
Who Pays?
One catch: demonstration sports don’t receive funding from SEAGF. “We need to prepare our own budget, including the costs of athlete participation, officials, refereeing, technical arrangements and administration,” Khoo said.
MPA estimates the total at around RM250,000, depending on the venue. Each country would send around 20 representatives, including players, officials, security personnel and administrative staff.
Venues Are Ready
Facilities, Khoo said, won’t be a problem. International-standard pickleball courts are available at all four SEA Games host locations: Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Sarawak.
Malaysia’s Pickleball Credentials
Khoo made the case that Malaysia is well placed to host. The country has an estimated 150,000 active pickleball players, with 10 to 15 percent of them competitive players who could potentially play in tournaments. Several Malaysians have also achieved good positions in international rankings.
“At the Asian level, Malaysia is among the most active countries in the development of pickleball,” he said. He named Vietnam as another fast-growing market, noting that it’s among the most active countries after Malaysia, and said Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia also have competitive players.
Building the Pathway
Beyond the SEA Games bid, Khoo said MPA is working to establish pickleball as a core sport in Malaysia, so that new talent can be developed in a more structured way. One initiative is collaborating with the National Coaching Academy (AKK) to add a pickleball syllabus to coaching training programmes. That matters, he said, to make sure coaches have proper accreditation and qualifications, especially if the sport is to be introduced in schools.
“We have registered the syllabus with AKK and expect to complete its preparation next month, before awaiting the relevant authorities’ decision,” he said.
MPA is also implementing anti-doping programmes to ensure the sport meets established standards and regulations.
What It Means
A demonstration slot wouldn’t award official SEA Games medals, but it would put pickleball in front of the region’s biggest sporting audience and could be a stepping stone towards full medal status in later editions. For a sport that is booming across Southeast Asia, it’s a notable moment, and the first test is whether six countries sign up.
