Team Kuala Lumpur sweep Hainan final, earn AEPA scholarships

Team Kuala Lumpur did more than take a trophy in Hainan. Lynn Lim, Irfan Kamil, Chan Yu Chi and Farreez Isqandar swept Surabaya 21-16, 21-8, 21-17 in the PCL Asia Rising Stars final and walked away with automatic scholarships to the Asia Elite Pickleball Academy, a result that reads like a Malaysia youth-pipeline announcement as much as a championship.

The scale behind the title matters. The PCL Asia Rising Stars Finals ran from April 1 to April 5, 2026, at Asia Elite Pickleball Academy in Hainan, China, with 22 teams from nine nations in the field. The format used four-player mixed squads, two male and two female athletes, played under rally scoring to 21, win by 2. The opening ceremony came on April 2, round robin play started April 3, and the event was built around a $100,000 scholarship pool for 10 players. PCL also covered qualifying teams’ airfare, local transport, accommodation and meals, while the FAQ listed entry at $200 per team.

Kuala Lumpur earned its place in the final the hard way. The Malaysia side beat Bali in the quarterfinals and Manila in the semifinals before overpowering Surabaya on April 5. Surabaya took the opposite route to the title match, beating Davao in the quarterfinals and Chinese Taipei 1 in the semifinals. By the end of the week, the final was only part of the story. Seven additional standouts were also awarded AEPA scholarships, lifting the total to 11 players now tied to the academy’s development track.

That is why Rising Stars stood out in a crowded regional calendar. Every match was tracked on DUPR, so the tournament was not just handing out medals, it was creating measurable data for junior players who are trying to break into the sport’s next level. Before the bracket began, athletes also spent two days in pro-led training with names such as James Ignatowich, Dionne Lim, Roos Van Reek, Nicola Schoeman and Seymour Rifkind, a setup that gave the week the feel of a true high-performance camp.

PCL has framed Rising Stars as a full youth pathway, not a one-off showcase, and the Hainan setup backed that claim. The academy venue, the scholarship pool, the travel support and the international-standard competition format all pointed in the same direction: building a regional system where juniors are identified, rated and funded before they ever get near the pro grind. For Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur’s sweep was the headline. For Asia, it was another sign that youth team events are becoming the clearest read on who is building the sport’s next competitive tier.