1. How did you get into Pickleball?
I got into it via a cousin in Penang (my hometown) in March 2025. I was amazed by how easy it was for an ex-athlete to pick up the sport and was totally caught up in the sport's hype. It became a replacement for my long distance running. After 50 years+, the knees can’t keep up with sustained pounding on the tarmac so…I play 4-5 times every week.
My current DUPR is 3.25 but I started at 2.3. Played over 100 matches to reach Intermediate level. Did it the hard way but loved every moment of it. I’ve participated in competitions, twice in JB in 2025. And loved watching the PPA Asia Tour that was held in KL end of 2025.
2. What inspired you to organize your own Pickleball competition?
Having hosted almost 200 games (social and DUPR) on Reclub all over SG, KL and Penang, I felt it was time to step up to something more challenging. My club, Picklepedia (I’m an OG from Expedia hence, the name) has almost 5,000 members. The competition is called Picklepedia Challenge, held on 4 April at Pickle Padel Movement at PUB Recreation Club. It was sold out within 2 weeks which shows the high demand for competition in Singapore.
1. How did you get into Pickleball?
I got into it via a cousin in Penang (my hometown) in March 2025. I was amazed by how easy it was for an ex-athlete to pick up the sport and was totally caught up in the sport's hype. It became a replacement for my long distance running. After 50 years+, the knees can’t keep up with sustained pounding on the tarmac so…I play 4-5 times every week.
My current DUPR is 3.25 but I started at 2.3. Played over 100 matches to reach Intermediate level. Did it the hard way but loved every moment of it. I’ve participated in competitions, twice in JB in 2025. And loved watching the PPA Asia Tour that was held in KL end of 2025.
2. What inspired you to organize your own Pickleball competition?
Having hosted almost 200 games (social and DUPR) on Reclub all over SG, KL and Penang, I felt it was time to step up to something more challenging. My club, Picklepedia (I’m an OG from Expedia hence, the name) has almost 5,000 members. The competition is called Picklepedia Challenge, held on 4 April at Pickle Padel Movement at PUB Recreation Club. It was sold out within 2 weeks which shows the high demand for competition in Singapore.
This is Picklepedia’s inaugural competition. It will spark the roll out of Picklepedia Series of tournaments to sustain the interest of Singaporean players competing more regularly as a feeder tournament to PPA and WPC meets. Like a stepping stone that is less intimidating and more community, feel good-based. It’s not all about winning, but about building a community of players supporting and encouraging each other to improve.
3. How did you work out your entry fees VS what the participants are getting i.e. goodie bag, player welfare, prizes etc?
The fees are made very affordable ($45/pax) with free competition t-shirts, drinks, discount goodies from sponsors (paddle and hotel), medals and cash prizes for podium winners.
The tournament is held at a central location on a weekend which makes it easier for players to commute and take time off to compete. Our working ratio of staff to players is 1:10 to ensure the competition is run smoothly with sufficient manpower. Having a very supportive and accommodating venue operator is key in organising a successful competition.
4. What challenges have you faced in organizing this event?
As it’s our first Pickleball tournament, everything is unchartered. I’ve worked on larger events for my previous companies so the experience on scale helps. Having booked out in under 2 weeks has been heartening. Maybe I undercharged (haha).
5. What would Success look like to you?
Being able to learn as much as possible from this inaugural competition so the next one is even larger and better organised would be a start. Our focus is on delivering a well-run event as opposed to the prizes or attracting the best players in the category. All that will come once the foundation is laid. SG’s Pickleball community is close-knit so word of mouth carries a lot of weight for future events.
6. Do you see such localised competitions as a long-term, sustainable Biz idea?
Hosting competitions is just one vertical in Picklepedia.co’s line of business but an important one. It help build awareness for the brand and loyalty.
Local competitions in SG are at their infancy. It’s a green field and in time more events will emerge. Sustainability would depend on the focused objective of the various competitions, differentiation, target segment and branding. I hope one day there will be a ‘Grand Slam’ of Pickleball in Singapore and we make the top 4 list.
7. A seasoned player told us that he doesn't take part in competitions in SG coz it's just playing people on Reclub with added hassle. What would you say to that?
You have to support the local hosts as opposed to playing tournaments overseas, else it will be akin to Singapore football team playing in the M-League. In the long run, we ignore grassroot development. We need to build a community of able competition administrators with the help of sponsors and spectators.
Competition affordability and trust are also crucial to build the beginner and intermediate base so it’s imperative for organisers to bring the value and professionalism else we will be negatively labelled as profiteers. That’s not the way to build the Pickleball eco-system in Singapore.
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