Skechers Sponsors First-Ever Philippine Pickleball Amateur Nationals Tournament

Philippine pickleball has been building toward something bigger than weekend rallies, and this weekend it arrives. The inaugural Skechers Pickleball 1st Philippine Pickleball Amateur Nationals takes place March 28 to 30 at Tela Park Pickleball Center in Las Piñas City, with the country's top amateur talent competing across age brackets from 19+ to 60+ and multiple skill tiers.

Among the first major events under the PPF's new national framework, the tournament is sanctioned by the Philippine Pickleball Federation and co-presented by Skechers, set for March 28 to 30 in Las Piñas, where select winners will go on to represent the Philippines at the EPIC World Amateur Championships in Singapore from April 30 to May 3. That international pathway transforms every divisional bracket into something with real consequence.

The event brings together amateur players from across the country to compete under standards that champion safety, fairness, and excellence. The three-day schedule is structured around format: Mixed Doubles on Day 1, with 4.5 skill-level matches kicking off at 8:30 a.m. and the 60+ Open taking the afternoon slot. Day 2 shifts to Men's and Women's Doubles, with the Men's 4.5 elite amateur brackets starting at 1:00 p.m. The Singles Championship closes out Day 3, with the 19+ and 35+ championship rounds wrapping the tournament in the afternoon.

Players like Sarah Jane Lim-Narvasa and Leander Lazaro now compete under official recognition, helping elevate the game. Their presence gives the field identifiable names and raises the competitive standard for everyone stepping onto the court in Las Piñas.

The stakes go beyond the draw sheet. The scheduled competitions will be the second tournament in contribution to the official national rankings, feeding results into a unified system the PPF activated on January 1, 2026. At the heart of that initiative is the Philippine Pickleball Participant (PPP) Registry, a centralised national database for players, coaches, and officials, accessible through registry.pickleball.ph, which PPF President Shery Anne Cu described as a unified identification system to properly track participation, match history, and rankings.

Cu has been direct about what this moment represents for the federation. "In just a few years, we have seen tremendous organic growth in pickleball, and that's something we celebrate. But now, it's time to support that enthusiasm with systems that ensure fairness, credibility, and long-term development," said Cu. She has also mapped out where she wants the sport to go: "What we are building is not just tournaments. We are building a credible pathway for athletes, a coordinated environment for organizers, a transparent ranking system, and a sustainable future for the sport in the country."

Sue Pasustento, Country Manager of Skechers Philippines, framed the brand's involvement in similarly forward-looking terms: "It's inspiring to see Filipinos step onto the court and into a more connected community with Skechers every step of the way." Skechers embraced pickleball at its grassroots stage and advocated for the PPF since the rise of the sport, and has since developed court-specific footwear as part of that commitment.

The distance from those early days is striking. PPF Co-Founder and Chairman Michael Ray Johnson has recalled starting with one net and a few donated paddles from friends in the United States, setting up a court along a street in Ortigas Center just to try the game out. The PPF is now recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, and is a founding member of the Global Pickleball Federation. The Amateur Nationals, opening tomorrow morning in Las Piñas, is the clearest measure yet of how much ground has been covered.