Kosmas Pickle Fest Cebu Delivers Thrilling Finals Across Adult, Youth Divisions

Two players stood above the rest at the Kosmas Pickle Fest 2026 in Cebu City. Christian Espinosa and former Miss Universe Philippines Ariella Arida each collected two gold medals across the five-day tournament at Net and Paddle courts, finishing as the standout performers of an event that ran March 11–15 and covered everything from Novice brackets to the U19 Rising Stars Sectional.

Arida paired with Sherry Cu to defeat Chatty May and June Andrea Gonzales, 11–7, in the women's doubles 35+ final. The Tribune described the pair as controlling the non-volley zone with soft hands in dink exchanges and sharp reflexes in volley battles, patiently constructing points before closing them with put-away volleys. Arida's second gold came alongside Cu in the High Intermediate division, where Marc Tagle and Sherry Cu were also among the title winners listed across that bracket.

Espinosa matched that two-gold performance with a blunt statement in men's doubles 20+, routing John Paul Juaton and Benjohn Juaton, 15–2, alongside partner Jahleel Plasabas. He then switched partners and teamed with Mary Seiw Yee to beat Janlady Fuentes and Dan Galang, 15–6, in the mixed doubles 20+ championship. Kevin Geniston and Andrei Sencio took bronze in the men's doubles 20+, while Sophia Calanog and Jarond Mesina finished third in the mixed doubles 20+.

The men's doubles 20+ bracket produced another sharp final earlier in the week. Charlon Mamacos and Mike Almaden defeated Ludovic Reyes and Angelo Saguran, 15–7, with Miguel Buagas and Erwin Aba settling for bronze. In the men's doubles 50+, Harry Radaza and Galvin Collantes dominated Ferdinand Ludo and Edgar Abellana, 15–8, with Rowen Otadoy and Edzel Lopez taking third.

Clint Ontal and Jeanette Eduave headlined the High Intermediate action, defeating Patrick Laput and Abe Tomomi, 15–9, with steady baseline control and precise soft-game execution. Also topping that division were the pairings of Mamacos and Almaden, Radaza and Collantes, Jhonavie Alloso and Mucoa Despabeladero, and Marc Tagle and Sherry Cu.

The adult competition served as a runway to the tournament's centerpiece: the PCL Rising Stars U19 Sectional on March 14–15, where junior players competed for berths in the PCL Asia Grand Finals scheduled in April on Hainan Island, China. Winners earn a US$1,000 development grant from the Asia Elite Pickleball Academy, plus full travel support from PCL Asia covering airfare, accommodations, and local transport.

The Cebu event marked the second stop in the multi-city series. In Davao, Team Velaris, composed of Shesha Bree Biñas, Chrystelle Marjh Elisan, Izzy Lacida, and Jacob Cagas, edged the SABR squad, 23–21, in a tight final at Pickletown to win gold and secure their Grand Finals berth.

Organized by Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation and Sunrise Events, Inc., and backed by PCL Asia with support from Milo, Summit Natural Drinking Water, and Pocari Sweat, the tournament carried extra weight in Cebu specifically: the sport was first introduced to the Philippines through a clinic in this city in 2016. A decade later, the country counts more than 320 registered clubs, and the Net and Paddle courts hosted the competition that has become one of the clearest signs of how far that introduction has traveled.