AP Cup in Penang draws strong turnout as pickleball booms

Pickle Land in Bayan Baru looked less like a niche court complex and more like a live market test for Malaysia’s fastest-rising racket sport. AP33’s AP Cup brought together players across multiple DUPR levels in an open-gender team format from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the event mixed competitive athletes, enthusiasts, spectators and content creators with RM10,000 in prize money and RM9,999 worth of giveaways.

That blend of sport and spectacle is the clearest sign yet that Malaysia’s pickleball boom has moved beyond novelty. Penang is now acting as a growth node for the sport, not just a stop on the local calendar, and the turnout at AP Cup showed how quickly a one-day tournament can double as a community showcase and a marketing platform. The crowd around the courts reflected a sport that is beginning to attract players and brands at the same time.

The state’s climb has been fast. Pickleball was introduced to Penang around 2021, and one of the earliest games at the Penang Youth Park pavilion open ground in June 2022 involved fewer than 10 players. By December 2025, the Penang Pickleball Association said the state had more than 50 venues and more than 300 courts, with about 60 percent on the island and 40 percent on the mainland. The association, officially formed in 2023, now sits at the center of a network that looks far larger than the sport’s early social circles.

Growth has also brought pressure. Penang Pickleball Association chairman Erik Phuah has warned that court development is running ahead of player development and affordability, with fees ranging from RM50 to RM80 per hour. That matters because the sport’s next phase will depend not just on enthusiasm, but on whether regular players can keep accessing courts often enough to improve, compete and stay in the game.

For organizers, the business case is getting clearer. The Malaysian Pickleball Association was reported to estimate about 10,000 active players nationwide, enough to support a steadier tournament circuit, sponsor interest and venue demand. Penang will get another major test when it hosts the World Pickleball Championship 2026 from April 16 to 19 at Pickle By The Sea on Gurney Drive, with 700 to 800 players expected from around the world. The WPC Malaysia Series 2026, which also includes Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru, shows how quickly Malaysia is turning a breakout trend into a competitive and commercial ecosystem.