UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme Class of 2025 Set for International Exposure as PPA Tour Asia Announces Upcoming Schedule
United Pickleball Association Asia (UPA Asia) promised a pickleball tournament series in Asia, and it is fulfilling that promise with the announcement of the PPA Tour Asia. UPA Asia, which recently launched the inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme early this year, is continuing that initial momentum with the first ever PPA Tour Asia 2025.
PPA Tour Asia 2025 is a five-stop circuit that promises to bring together the sport’s top players and have them playing in Asia. It will be featuring events in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Fukuoka, and China.
PPA Tour Asia 2025 will feature a combined prize pool of over USD$ 1.65 million and will be structured across three competitive tiers: Slam, Cup, and Open. The five stops of the tour are as follows:
Kuala Lumpur Cup: 9–12 October (USD$ 500,000)
Kuala Lumpur Open: 3–6 July (USD$ 50,000)
Hong Kong Open: 21–24 August (USD$ 50,000)
Fukuoka Open: 26–31 August (USD$ 50,000)
China Slam: 1–5 October (USD$ 1,000,000),
As the list shows, each tournament will offer varying points and prize pools, with the Opens in Kuala Lumpur and Japan being the least prestigious, offering 1,000 points and a prize pool of USD $50,000. Next are the Cups, which offer 1,500 points and a prize pool of USD $500,000. The most prestigious of these tournaments will be the China Slam, offering 2,000 points and approximately USD$ 1 million in prizes. It will also be the final event in the circuit.
Among the players expected to compete in the PPA Tour Asia 2025 are Jimmy Liong and Mia Athilla, two of Malaysia’s rising pickleball stars and part of UPA Asia’s inaugural UPA Asia Trailblazers Programme Class of 2025. This programme is looking to elevate Asian picklers to the global stage through a three-month intensive training in the US guided by world-class pickleball coaches and competition exposure. The upcoming PPA Tour Asia 2025 is among the many ways the programme will introduce its carefully chosen trailblazers to topnotch international competition.
World-class action is again headed to Asia, and best believe the world’s largest continent will be ready. It’s been ready for the longest time now, in fact.
