Asia Pickleball Summit grows bigger, signaling region-wide sport expansion
APS 2.0 drew about 1,500 people to Empire City, more than tripling the first summit’s turnout and signaling pickleball’s next stage in Asia.
Asia Pickleball Summit 2.0 filled Hextar World Exhibition Hall at Empire City in Petaling Jaya with about 1,500 participants, 14 countries, more than 40 international speakers and 18 panels and talks over two days, June 6-7, 2026. Built around conference talks, an exhibition expo and networking gameplay, the summit was the clearest sign yet that Asian pickleball has moved beyond a curiosity and into an organized business and participation ecosystem.
The scale jump was hard to miss. The first Asia Pickleball Summit, held July 16-17, 2025 at One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, had already been billed as the region’s first conference-and-expo dedicated entirely to pickleball. It drew more than 500 attendees, 28 global speakers and representatives from 14 countries. APS 2.0 kept the same international footprint but expanded the footprint around it, with a bigger hall and more brands than the inaugural edition, a sign that equipment makers, clubs, coaches and players are all leaning harder into the market.
That matters because the summit was not just a trade show. ReSkills, working with co-organizers AFA and APTV, positioned APS 2.0 as a place where brand owners, federation leaders, court operators, professional players and investors could build cross-border collaborations. Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Mordi Bimol, attended on behalf of Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari and said the event would benefit Malaysia’s pickleball industry while strengthening ties with the international pickleball community through knowledge exchange and collaboration. His presence also reflected how much more visible pickleball has become inside Malaysian sports governance.
ReSkills founder and chief executive Jin Tan said pickleball has seen extraordinary growth across Asia and the world since late 2024, and APS 2.0 was built to turn that momentum into something durable. For amateur players, that usually shows up in practical ways first: more coaching, more local leagues, better equipment distribution, stronger club networks and a clearer path from community play to tournaments. The two summit editions, one year apart, show the sport’s acceleration in real time, with the region now building the infrastructure to match the buzz.
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