Sep
We came home from the Pickleball World Cup 2026 with a lot to reflect on. The journey in Da Nang gave us a closer look at international pickleball, stronger relationships within the team, and a clearer sense of the questions we need to ask about the sport’s future in Malaysia.
For ReSkills Pickleball, we are grateful for the opportunity to have supported the management team. Our role was to lend a hand to the directors, managers, coaches, players and media wherever support was needed. Being involved in that capacity allowed us to observe, learn and appreciate the work behind a national team’s journey.
Experiencing an event of this scale was eye-opening. It gave us a better understanding of what a world-class pickleball event can look and feel like, from the competition itself to the atmosphere surrounding it.
Watching players from different countries also gave us a clearer reference point for Malaysia. Seeing their level up close helped us reflect on where we stand, what we may be missing, and what it will take to become more competitive internationally.
One thing that stood out was the unity within teams. While players were competing on court, their teammates were fully involved from the sidelines, encouraging them and sharing the tension of every point. Everyone seemed invested in the same goal: winning together.
We could feel the positive energy that support brought to the players on court. It showed us how much team spirit matters, especially when the pressure rises. Representing a country becomes a shared responsibility, with every member contributing to the team’s belief.
That experience also made us appreciate the relationships growing within our own team. Our juniors are developing quickly, and there is a valuable opportunity for our Open category players to guide them, share their experiences and help them become better players.
Those connections can continue beyond one tournament. Training together, talking through mistakes and offering honest encouragement could give our juniors people to learn from as they progress. The experience gained by one generation can become valuable guidance for the next.
But the journey also brought us back to a more difficult question: pickleball is growing strongly in Malaysia, but is it growing in a healthy direction?
Within our local community, there is a term many players recognise: “buaya.” Here, we are referring specifically to players who deliberately manipulate their ratings to enter lower divisions for a better chance of winning cash prizes.
That behaviour raises a concern about what we are encouraging in our competitive culture. When players elsewhere are working towards a higher level, choosing to present ourselves at a lower level for an easier win takes us in the opposite direction.
A stronger player entering a lower division through deliberate manipulation also affects those who belong in that division. It undermines fair competition and raises a troubling question for developing players: is the aim to improve, or to find a way to win against weaker opposition?
This behaviour does not represent every Malaysian player. But it deserves an honest conversation because the habits we reward today help shape the players we produce tomorrow.
What can each organisation do to encourage genuine progress? Are tournament structures and eligibility checks supporting fair competition? Are clubs and coaches encouraging players to challenge themselves? What are younger players learning from the examples around them?
These questions apply to all of us involved in the sport, including ourselves. If we want Malaysian players to compete confidently with world-class opponents, we need to consider whether our everyday competitive culture is helping them move towards that level.
The Vietnamese supporters during the final matches left another strong impression on us. Their voices, energy and belief in their country’s players filled the venue. From the sidelines, we could feel how powerful it was to have a crowd standing behind the team.
It made us wonder: if Malaysia had the opportunity to host an event of this scale, would Malaysians come together to support our local teams with that same passion, or would our players face rows of empty seats?
We cannot assume what that turnout would be. But the question is worth asking alongside our concerns about healthy growth. What kind of pickleball community are we building, and does it give people a reason to believe in, follow and stand behind our players?
For ReSkills Pickleball, this journey gave us perspective, relationships and plenty to learn. We are thankful to have played a supporting part and to everyone who shared the experience with us.
The tournament has ended, but the lessons remain. What we do with those lessons, as players, supporters and organisations, will influence how ready Malaysia is when the next opportunity on the world stage comes.