Quang Duong joins Sabah Open as Malaysian organisers promote sports tourism
Summary by Coachino Daily Digest · Original reporting by Pickleball News Asia
Published
The inaugural Sabah Open in Kota Kinabalu runs November 6–9 at Replay Karamunsing. Organisers reported 538 participating players across 11 categories and a RM100,000 prize pool. Vietnamese player Quang Duong is among the notable entrants. Local organisers hope the event will strengthen international participation and sports tourism in Sabah; no unverified match results are claimed.
Coachino Insight
Coachino Insight: regional tournaments can combine competitive pathways with local tourism and community development.
Svenska Pickleballförbundet has called its member associations to an extra federation meeting on 6/12. Three board members and one deputy have left since the regular meeting on May 15 2026, leaving six board members and one deputy in place.
The board says it needs to fill the vacancies through supplementary elections, citing the amount of work and the risk that it may not be able to make decisions.
Coachino Insight
The meeting will address the federation’s board capacity. Clubs may want to follow the supplementary election process and consider how they can support the work ahead.
JOOLA and women’s-sports platform TOGETHXR are working together on the long-term ‘She’s Got a Point’ initiative. At the 2026 Pickleball World Championships, the campaign features appearances by athletes including Kate Fahey and Anna Bright, girls’ clinics, community programming and a limited-edition collection. The Kitchen reported these activities on November 7.
Coachino Insight
Coachino Insight: community programmes and visible athletes can make sport more welcoming without limiting its value to professional results.
Trevor Noah played pickleball with local enthusiasts at The Sports Arena at Singapore Expo while in Singapore for the Just For Laughs Singapore festival. Actress Jaime Teo and local players joined him; Teo described him as an encouraging partner, while Joshua Seow praised his quick hands. A local coach said Noah had arranged private matches before the trip, and he later joked about the games during his 5 November comedy set.
Coachino Insight
Noah’s pre-arranged matches show how visiting players can connect with local pickleball communities. For clubs, celebrity drop-ins can also put a spotlight on welcoming, social play.
