Penang City Council Looks to Build More Pickleball Facilities in Seri Delima as Sport Rises in Thriving Constituency

Penang’s state constituency, Seri Delima, is fast becoming one of Malaysia’s fastest-rising hubs for pickleball. That is quite the feat for the very first locality in Penang to open the state’s first-ever outdoor pickleball facility, doing so in May 2024.

Since then, pickleball has taken off in Seri Delima, whose liveability is near-unmatched thanks in part to its sprawling neighbourhood parks—all 16 of them!—and vibrant communities. Now, those communities have found a great pastime in pickleball, which is picking up considerable momentum in Seri Delima.

“We are proud to lead the way,” assemblywoman Connie Tan Hooi Peng told The Star about Seri Delima’s apparent pickleball love affair.

One reason pickleball is thriving in Seri Delima is the growing number of outdoor pickleball courts built in those same parks, which Tan and the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) saw as the perfect spots to put up sporting facilities—especially for emerging sports.

“We saw a real opportunity. Seri Delima has many parks but lacked facilities for emerging sports,” Tan pointed out. “With pickleball gaining popularity, converting part of a community park into a public court would encourage healthier lifestyles and give families a new recreational option.”

As of press time, there are now two courts in Lintang Delima 10 and one each in Lorong Delima 9, Solok Tembaga, and Japanese Garden in Island Park. But Seri Delima residents can expect more of these facilities to be built as Tan and her office are now actively exploring the possibility of putting up pickleball facilities in nearby Taman Tun Sardon in Gelugor.

The reason for this expansion plan, according to Tan, is the “truly heart-warming” impact of pickleball on Seri Delima’s communities.

“Through pickleball, I have witnessed something truly heart-warming. We see youths who never enjoyed sports and seniors in their 70s coming together, laughing, sweating, learning, and growing stronger side by side,” Tan shared with The Star. “Pickleball continues to break barriers and foster intergenerational interaction—uniting residents through sport while nurturing both physical health and mental well-being.”

Look for the sport to keep growing and impacting Seri Delima in positive ways, as the constituency’s outdoor courts are free to use on a first-come, first-served setup. Players, according to Tan, can also book court slots through her service centre at 017-734 0928. There are also evening sessions at an affordable rate of RM5 per player.