MPA to Keep Pressing for Pickleball Inclusion in Sukma 2026 Even After Abrupt Leadership Change
Expect the Malaysia Pickleball Association (MPA) to continue working towards the inclusion of pickleball in the Malaysia Games (Sukma 2026).
“We have been in discussions with the Youth and Sports Ministry. They will have the final say,” said Delima Ibrahim, who recently took over the MPA presidency after Farrell Choo vacated his post. “We are not the only sport that wants to be part of Sukma. Farrell and the MPA have already submitted our plans to the organisers.”
Pickleball at Sukma 2026?
Sukma 2026 is set to take place in Selangor, and in November 2024, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the state was planning to introduce pickleball as a medal sport in the Games.
Sengalor’s Youth, Sports and Entrepreneurship Committee chairman, Mohd Najwan Halimi, announced last month that Sukma 2026 will include five optional sporting disciplines besides the 28 core sports already included. Among the sports being considered as the optional ones aside from pickleball are chess, Chinese chess, boxing, silambam, kabaddi, Muay Thai, cricket, softball, and e-sports.
The Sukma Supreme Council is expected to unveil the complete list of sports soon.
MPA in a State of Flux
While the MPA continues to vouch for pickleball’s inclusion in Sukma 2026, the association itself is in some sort of flux because of Choo’s decision to step down as MPA president and hand over the leadership role to Ibrahim. Her appointment drew criticism from some quarters, but Ibrahim shrugged it off, noting that no one from the MPA executive council contested her being made president and that her position is on an interim basis only.
“I took over on July 1 but I must stress that I’m only the acting president, and there are still some handover issues to iron out,” said Ibrahim. “The MPA will hold its elections next year, and we can elect a permanent president then. I have known Farrell for many years, and he trusts me to carry on his good work.”
Choo himself emphasised the trust, saying of Ibrahim: “I’ve known Delima for many years, and we started MPA together. She is a capable leader, and the executive council has agreed that she will take over until next year’s elections,” said Choo, who retired from the MPA to focus on his businesses. “I believe the association is in good hands. Our goal is to popularise pickleball in Malaysia, and hopefully, we can be part of Sukma next year.”
The trust might be well warranted. Ibrahim isn’t a stranger to pickleball, after all, as she is the president of the Sarawak Pickleball Association, which is in turn a founding member of the MPA. She was also appointed an ambassador of the sport by the International Federation of Pickleball in 2020.
Now, she is steering the MPA in the next few months, and at the top of her agenda is making sure pickleball is included in Sukma 2026.
Malaysia will know the result soon enough.
