Astro Arena wins Bank Rakyat Media Pickleball Tournament in Kuala Lumpur

Hanif Miswan and Fathy Azlan closed out a nervy final to claim the Open title at the Bank Rakyat Media Pickleball Tournament, prevailing 21-20 over TV3 2 at The Hood, Chow Kit. The result crowned the Astro Arena pairing after a dominant run through group play and the knockout rounds on February 4.

Astro Arena set the tone early, finishing top of their group with decisive wins over New Straits Times 13-1, TV9 13-6 and Berita Harian 3 13-2. The pair carried that momentum into the elimination bracket, defeating Refleks 13-4 in the round of 16, overcoming club Media Prima 15-8 in the quarter-final and topping HOT FM 1 21-13 in the semi-final before the dramatic one-point final.

Organiser Bank Rakyat assembled 64 participants drawn from mainstream, broadcast and digital media organisations for the event, which was promoted as a chance to strengthen strategic ties with media partners and to encourage healthier lifestyles among industry practitioners. The tournament’s Open category format produced a mix of short 13-point group matches and longer 21-point knockout contests, testing both quick reflexes and endurance.

Astro Arena’s run offers both sporting and industry takeaways. On the court, Hanif and Fathy displayed consistent scoring and the ability to shift tempo between 13-point bursts and extended 21-point matches. Their steady progression - surrendering few points across multiple rounds - underlines why the pairing is being talked about as one of the more consistent duos in media competitions.

Off the court, the event signals pickeball’s rising role as a corporate engagement and wellness tool in Asia. Bank Rakyat’s sponsorship demonstrates how financial institutions are leveraging sport to deepen media relationships and build brand affinity in informal, participatory settings. With media houses fielding branded teams from newsroom to radio, the tournament doubled as networking and content-generation opportunity, creating ready-made stories and social content for outlets involved.

One factual discrepancy merits clarification: one report described the event as inaugural, while local coverage credited Hanif and Fathy with a second consecutive title. That inconsistency does not diminish the sporting result, but it does highlight the need for organisers to document the event’s history as pickleball moves from novelty to fixture.

For media players and sponsors, the takeaway is clear - pickleball’s low barrier to entry and spectator-friendly scoring make it an attractive platform for community-building and activation. For Hanif Miswan and Fathy Azlan, the win consolidates their reputation; for Bank Rakyat and partners, the tournament offers a template for future media-focused sporting events as pickeball gains traction across the region.