From competition level to the facilities, pickleball in the Philippines continues its upward trend.
Medelene “Medz” Saraza could still remember the growing pains that she and the first wave of Filipino pickleball players had to endure.
A former tennis player from the University of the Philippines, Medz vividly recalls that they once settled with basketball courts and makeshift nets just to squeeze in a game or two.
“When I was still starting to play pickleball, sobrang namomroblema kami kung saan maglalaro,” Medz, who first took up pickleball in 2023, told The GAME. “Before, naglalaro lang kami sa basketball court and nilalagyan namin ng line tapos bibili kami ng cheap na nets.”
Today, things are much, much livelier and organized for the Philippine pickleball community, with the Philippine Pickleball Federation (PPF) being recognized as the national sports association (NSA) for the local pickleball scene.
The PPF has also listed nearly 800 courts in its database, including those in Metro Manila, and select provincial areas across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, while over 300 clubs have also been recognized, further emphasizing the sport’s rapid rise in the Philippines.
“It’s a good avenue for health and for us to move around. Then it’s also fun, and it’s able to connect you with other people, kaya sobrang grabe ‘yung growth,” Medz reflects.“And now, sobrang dami nang nag-oopen na mga courts and hindi lang mga normal na courts! As in-world class, then hindi lang paisa-isa. Sobrang dami na all over the Philippines.”
Just as competitive
When one hears “pickleball”, many may still think of it as a purely recreational sport. If they do, then it would be understandable, given that pickleball was established in the 1960s as a backyard game for kids in Washington State.
Even Toby Claudio, an avid supporter of the Philippine pickleball scene, admitted seeing it as a leisurely sport at first.
“You know, when I first started pickleball, I also didn’t think that it was a serious sport to be honest,” Claudio, president of Toby’s Sports, told The GAME. “But when I started playing against really good players, that’s when I realized that this is a real and legit sport.”
While pickleball can be treated as a recreational activity, those with a competitive fire can thrive in it too, thanks to the growing number of tournaments that have come with the sport’s ever-growing popularity.
One such tournament is the Pickleball Champions League (PCL) Asia, a premier professional league that the Philippines ruled in its inaugural season last year. Now on its second season, PCL Asia recently held its Philippine Sectional Finals last November 16, where teams competed for the chance to represent the country this December in the championship round at Shenzen, China.
Medz, who was part of the Philippine contingent in Season 1, says that tournaments like these are crucial to proving pickleball’s competitive nature to a wider audience.
“It says a lot about the growth of Philippine pickleball, kasi parang it’s a first time na may tournament na after you win, you get the chance to represent your country [internationally],” she said.
That it was held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall is also a big win for the community, as it allowed passersby to see the competitive side of the sport, complete with team banners, drums, and the high-stakes tension that comes with elite-level play.
“What a great day and there’s so many people watching!” PCL Asia chairman Steve Kuhn told The GAME in a separate interview. “I think most of the people here watching have never seen pickleball before, and I’m confident that we’re gonna get some new fans and new players out of this.”
“I think everyone that’s watching this is gonna get drawn in. They hear the crowd, players playing their best; they hear the drums, so everybody’s gonna get drawn in because it’s so much fun.”
Added Medz, “It makes pickleball more known, and hopefully there’s gonna be more people playing pickleball, and it’s also showcasing ‘yung athletes natin na hindi pa masyadong nakikita.”
“And now that it’s televised, sobrang nalalaman ng mga tao na mayroon palang ganito ‘yung Philippines, ganito kagaling na athlete,” she continued, with the tournament being streamed live on Facebook and Puso Pilipinas in its entirety.
Shenzhen and beyond
Starting on December 5, two Philippine teams will travel to Shenzen with the intention of defending the country’s throne in the PCL Asia Championships, while showcasing the rise of the local pickleball scene to our Asian counterparts.
Pickleyard Somo, composed of Medz, Chloe Mae Saraza, Red Directo, Honey Mae Gilles, Jun Cesar Malacaman, and Juan Paolo Fermin, will enter Shenzen as the Philippine champions. Runners-up SO Chill, led by local ace Anna Clarice Patrimonio, were also granted a slot into the championship, according to Kuhn.
“We planned this one and we prepared for this; all heart sa mga players, sa management, coaching staff. So we’re really happy with the result and it really helped us grow as a team, as athletes, and managers,” SO Chill and Standout Pickleball Academy head coach Robby Navarrete told The GAME.
“Representing the Philippines is such a great opportunity for us to show our talents, our potential on what Filipinos are made of in the pickleball scene.”
Since its entry to Philippine shores, the local pickleball scene has grown by leaps and bounds, highlighted by courts continuing to sprout across the country. More athletes have been given the chance to foster their competitive spirit, while being given opportunities to represent the country on the world stage.
“You can easily teach any age to pick up that paddle and try out this new sport, and that’s why it’s really exploding in terms of potential,” said Navarete. “In terms of growing the sport on a competitive level, we are proud that we are evolving from the basketball courts that we used to have.
“Now we have been seeing the growth of new facilities, and every week, every month, ang dami nang naka-lineup. If magpupunta ka sa open places, you can see that ang daming naka–waitlist and agawan talaga kumbaga, so it just shows na ang laki ng potential for pickleball.”
For Medz, the next step now is introducing more youth-level tournaments, especially with the lessons that could be learned from one game of pickleball.
“As of now, sobrang konti pa lang ng tournaments na may category na kasama ang mga bata, so that’s what I am hoping for, na magkaroon din ng mga tournaments for kids, especially with the camaraderie [that can be learned],” she said.
Claudio, meanwhile, pointed out how even celebrities have bought into the pickleball hype, with the likes of Daniel Matsunaga and Phoemela Baranda being in attendance during the PCL Asia Season 2 Finals over the weekend.
“Exactly, even celebs are getting into the sport, so you can tell that pickleball is really going to grow in the coming years, so I really hope that it becomes a national pastime.”
Kuhn sees that the Philippines is catching up to its Asian counterparts in terms of growth.
“I thought pickleball grew very fast in the US, then I came to Asia and it’s even faster here, and I think two of the fastest countries I’ve ever seen have been Vietnam and Malaysia,” he said.
“But the Philippines has been really, really catching up! Everyday there’s a new club, and I think that the Philippine Pickleball Federation now has over 300 clubs, and I think just two years ago, that was maybe around 20, so it’s crazy.”
If the past few years are any indicator, then the future of pickleball in the Philippines only promises to be bigger, brighter, and more competitive down the line.
Images taken by RJ Ballecer.