PPA Tour Asia Adds Facolos, Franklin and Paddletek as Official Paddle Partners for 2026

Facolos, Franklin and Paddletek are back on the paddle wall for PPA Tour Asia's 2026 season, with the tour confirming all three brands as Official Paddle Partners in an announcement that signals the commercial infrastructure around professional pickleball in Asia is no longer a work in progress.

The three-way arrangement mirrors the partnership structure PPA Tour Asia first unveiled on July 3, 2025, when the brands were named ahead of the Panas Malaysia Open and the tour's inaugural season. That the same trio has rolled into 2026 without a roster change matters: continuity at the sponsor level gives a young tour credibility it cannot yet generate through television contracts or stadium attendance figures alone.

"Having Facolos, Paddletek, and Franklin on board as our Official Paddle Partners reflects their belief in Asia's pickleball potential and commitment to developing tournaments in the region," said Kimberly Koh, Managing Director of UPA Asia. "Their collective investment helps establish PPA Tour Asia as a world-class circuit while supporting the growth of pickleball at every level across the region."

Of the three brands, Facolos carries the most detailed story. Headquartered in Vietnam, the brand has positioned itself as the region's homegrown answer to the Western paddle market, with PPA Tour Asia describing its paddles as built from "the region's most advanced technology and premium materials" and certified for international tournament play. That certification claim matters on a tour structured around Slam, Cup and Open events, where equipment standards determine which paddles players can actually use when PPA Tour Asia ranking points are on the line.

The most concrete evidence of what Facolos' backing actually produces sits in the career of Yufei Long. A Class of 2025 Trailblazer who completed a training and competition stint in the United States as part of Season 1 of the UPA Asia Trailblazers Program, Long returned to the Asian circuit and claimed four PPA Tour Asia gold medals while rising to No. 1 in the Women's Singles Asia rankings. That is not a marketing talking point; it is a ranking and a medal count that can be verified against the official PPA Tour Asia results.

Facolos also confirmed its return as the Official Paddle Partner for Trailblazers Program Season 2 in a separate UPA Asia announcement last November. Jessica Vo, Co-Founder and Vice President of Facolos Pickleball, framed the renewal in terms of player development rather than product placement. "We're truly honored to be part of the Trailblazers Program for a second time," Vo said. "This partnership with UPA reflects our shared belief in the power of developing future champions – discovering, nurturing, and empowering young talent to build the foundation for sustainable growth of pickleball in Asia and beyond."

Paddletek and Franklin are confirmed at the same Official Paddle Partner level but PPA Tour Asia has not released individual descriptions or athlete tie-ins for either brand at this stage. Whether that changes as the 2026 calendar fills out will say something about how invested each company is in activating beyond a logo placement.

The broader picture is straightforward: a tour that launched its inaugural season less than a year ago now heads into its second year with the same commercial partners intact, a No. 1-ranked women's singles player developed through its own training pipeline, and a bracket structure spanning three competitive tiers generating rankings that players are genuinely chasing. The commercial ecosystem PPA Tour Asia's announcement referenced is not aspirational language at this point. It is already operating.