TGG/LIT Signs Hong Kong’s First Professional Pickleball Cohort: Lam, Fung, Tang

TGG Holdings, through its new sports arm LIT Sports Global, formalised a landmark move for Hong Kong pickleball on Feb 15, 2026, signing Ryan Lam Chun-hei, Agnes Fung Pui-long and Nikita Tang Nok-yiu at a Conrad Hong Kong ceremony. TGG and partner TLP are co-organisers of the WPC World Pickleball Championships - Hong Kong stop in Discovery Bay, scheduled for 5–7 December, and the signing positions the three athletes as the public faces of that push.

TGG’s LinkedIn announcement framed the occasion with industry-scale ambition, saying, "This signing ceremony is more than a contract milestone – it marks the beginning of Hong Kong’s journey from amateur participation to a structured, professional ecosystem in one of the world’s fastest-growing sports." The signing photo shows, from left, Agnes Fung, Ryan Lam and Nikita Tang celebrating with TLP Pickleball Club at the Conrad Hong Kong; photo credit for that image is May Tse.

All three signings carry sporting credentials: LIT and TGG describe Ryan Lam, Agnes Fung and Nikita Tang as multiple-time international champions who have also coached younger players. TGG wrote that "Each has already achieved strong international results and will now compete under a professional structure with dedicated support, training and competition schedules," signalling a shift to salaried programmes, dedicated calendars and club-backed preparation for regional and international events.

The corporate deal sits alongside operational moves. Pickleballnewsasia reports LIT Sports Global has acquired the TLP Pickleball Club of Hong Kong, while TGG’s corporate messaging refers to a partnership with TLP Dalian Pai Pickleball Club; both strands indicate a plan to convert club assets into a professional team and event pipeline. LIT projects roughly 20,000 Hong Kong players by 2027 and an annual market value of HKD $150 million to HKD $200 million by 2030, positioning the signing as the commercial bedrock for that forecast.

Market context amplifies the gamble: Pickleballnewsasia cites estimates of over 20 million global players next year and about 300,000 already playing in mainland China, numbers that underpin LIT’s growth case for Hong Kong as an "emerging centre for professional pickleball." TGG’s wider sporting ambitions were also on display; founder Barry Lau voiced broader plans while discussing sport investment, saying, "That needs to happen, and we’re 200 per cent behind this, we want to be behind this," in reference to expanding into other codes such as rugby.

For now, the immediate deliverables are clear and concrete: three named athletes under professional contracts, a co-hosted WPC stop in Discovery Bay on 5–7 December, and an operational relationship with TLP that TGG expects to turn into a sustainable elite pathway. The signing marks a visible pivot from casual play toward a marketised, athlete-centred model that LIT and TGG are betting will scale in Hong Kong and feed regional competition calendars. The LinkedIn announcement even included an unexpected mix of corporate hashtags - #Hydrogen #NetZero #EnergyTransition - underscoring TGG’s broader investment language as it steps into sport.