The partnership between Malaysia’s top male pickleball player, Jimmy Liong, and global pickleball brand Facolos is over, with the company taking to social media to announce the end of this chapter for both player and sponsor. Liong then gave the latter a fitting and heartfelt thank you via his own official accounts.
“Wow! What a journey this has been! I’m not sure how to start this, it is a tough one,” Liong began his post. “Firstly, I would like to thank everyone at @facolos.pickleball for believing in me and seeing something in me at first sight. I still remember the day I met @jessicavo.fcl at D-Joy Open in Saigon close to exactly a year ago. We met, we connected, and we shared a same goal to grow in pickleball.”
Liong, of course, was alluding to Jessica Vo, the Co-Founder and Vice President of Facolos Pickleball, who has been at the forefront of shaping the Vietnam-based pickleball paddle brand into a global force. That meeting ultimately led to the Malaysian sensation becoming part of the Facolos Global Team, alongside other pickleball stars in the Asia Pacific region, like Ken Tam, Sophia Phuong Anh, and Mitch Hargreaves.
“Facolos came into my career and helped me grow into the player I am now, and shaped me as a human being as well. I must say they are the vital figure in my career, and without them I would never be where I am today,” added Liong, who has become a pretty good pro in his time with the Facolos Global Team.
Liong, who bagged bronze at the Pro Men’s Singles 5.0 and Above category of PPA Australia’s Melbourne Pickleball Cup over the weekend, then went on to thank Vo and a few others for their “unwavering support and hard work put behind the scenes” in support of his burgeoning career.
“I want to keep this short, simple, and memorable. As cliché as this may sound, ‘Don’t dwell on because it’s over but smile because it happened!’” Jimmy Liong further wrote. “Thank you from the very bottom of my heart @facolos.pickleball.”
