PCL Asia Updates Youth Pathway, Philippines Sectionals Results Ahead of Hainan Finals

Team Velaris has put the Philippines on notice as the dominant force in PCL Asia's Rising Stars (U19) circuit, winning back-to-back sectional titles in Davao City and Cebu to book consecutive berths at the Grand Finals on Hainan Island, China, this April.

Velaris outlasted SABR in a pulsating 23-21 gold medal showdown to rule the PCL Rising Stars U19 Sectional Tournament at Pickletown in Davao City. Powered by Shesha Bree Biñas, Chrystelle Marjh Elisan, Izzy Lacida, and Jacob Cagas, the squad completed a golden sweep of the women's and men's doubles as well as both mixed doubles events. Biñas and Elisan controlled the soft game with steady dinks and sharp net play, winning key long rallies to set the tone, while Lacida and Cagas mixed powerful drives with precise third-shot drops to dictate tempo.

SABR settled for silver behind Rose Lieryanne Bacaron, Samanthan Abes, Alva Bual, and Aljamier Usman, while Pickle Homies, composed of Mervic Indagacan, Jenny Tolentino, Rojin Tagimalay, and Jipoy Gildore, rounded out the podium with bronze.

The Davao title earned Velaris a berth at the PCL Asia Grand Finals on Hainan Island, China, this April, along with a US$1,000 development grant from the Asia Elite Pickleball Academy. PCL Asia also covered airfare, local transportation, and accommodations for the qualifying players.

Velaris then moved north and did it again. The squad captured the PCL Rising Stars U19 Sectional Tournament title at the Net and Paddle courts in Cebu City, edging Dinkasaurs 21-19, with Alva Bual, Mervic Jean Indagacan, Rose Bacaron, and Sun Lacida delivering nerves of steel in a championship duel packed with extended rallies and precise kitchen dinks. The Velaris squad recovered from an early setback in women's doubles before responding with disciplined net play and well-timed drives to claim victories in men's doubles and the decisive mixed doubles matches.

On the road to the final, Velaris topped Flight B in the elimination round by narrowly edging Dinkasaurs 15-13 in total points, while Cebu Pickle Warriors claimed the other direct semifinal berth from Flight A with 13 points, edging Archangel Pickleball Center. Dinkasaurs fought back through the knockout rounds, sweeping Toledo City Pickleball Club 3-0 in the quarterfinal, while Archangel secured the last Final Four seat with a gritty 3-2 win over DND Zamboanga.

The Cebu tournament, Kosmas Pickle Fest 2026, was organized by Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corp. and Sunrise Events, Inc., and served as both a competitive battleground and a development platform for the next generation of Filipino talent. The Cebu leg carried symbolic weight as the city where pickleball was first introduced to the Philippines in 2016; a decade later, the sport counts more than 320 registered clubs nationwide.

The two Philippine sectionals sit within a broader regional architecture. The U19 division features mixed-gender teams of two male and two female athletes competing under a professional team format that emphasizes skill, strategy, teamwork, and sportsmanship. PCL Asia's news feed has also highlighted that Indonesia's Rising Stars sectionals are set for Ubud, Bali, extending the qualification trail across Southeast Asia before all roads converge in Hainan.

PCL Asia Vice President for Marketing and Events Mhica Gan said the league's local partnerships "ensure that local players benefit from both world-class structure and strong community leadership," adding that working with trusted local organizations allows the sport to "grow sustainably while maintaining consistent competitive standards across Asia."

With Velaris already holding multiple Hainan berths and the Indonesia sectionals still ahead, the shape of the Rising Stars field at the Grand Finals is only beginning to take form.