Borneo International Pickleball Open opens in Kota Kinabalu with about 536 players
Summary by Coachino Daily Digest · Original reporting by Jesselton Times
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The first Borneo International Pickleball Open began on Friday at The Good Club in Kota Kinabalu, with about 536 players from Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, China and Taiwan. Permanent Secretary Datuk Josie Lai opened the three-day event, which ends on Sunday, October 18, and is run by Borneo Kelab Rekreasi Pickleball together with Megas Mind Creative & Development.
The club's nine courts, six indoor and three outdoor, cost more than RM3 million and opened only last month, director Ryan Chu said. Hong Kong celebrity Hugo Wong joined Lai for an opening invitation match.
Coachino Insight
For clubs, this shows how a new venue, tourism partners and an international entry list can launch a first-year event at scale, a model worth studying before planning a destination tournament.
Support for pickleball courts far outweighs opposition among speakers taking a position at U.S. local government meetings, according to Hamlet. The public-meeting analysis firm counted 1,152 supporters and 89 opponents in meetings across 468 cities and towns since Oct. 19, 2024, with support leading in 436.
Fresno, Riverside and Maricopa were among places with many supportive speakers, while Port St. Lucie and Tampa had more opponents. The findings offer a wider view than coverage centered on noise complaints and neighborhood disputes.
Coachino Insight
For clubs pursuing courts, the findings document strong support among meeting speakers, not a survey of residents. Local differences remain important when discussing facilities with councils.
BIBD and Baiduri Bank brought 32 participants to a pickleball friendly at PGGMB in Bandar Seri Begawan, with 16 representatives from each bank. The gathering gave staff from competing institutions a chance to build relationships away from work through friendly competition.
Organisers highlighted teamwork and sportsmanship, while the report cited pickleball’s accessibility and social appeal as reasons for choosing it. BIBD described the event as part of its commitment to employee well-being, stakeholder engagement and a positive workplace culture.
Coachino Insight
For clubs and workplace organisers, this gathering illustrates pickleball’s role as a setting for employee activity and relationship-building across competing businesses.
The Hanoi hometown club team won a community pickleball tournament held in Vientiane on 25 October, with Nghe An finishing second and Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City sharing third place.
Organised by the Association of Vietnamese People in Vientiane, the event encouraged exercise and closer ties among Vietnamese expatriates in Laos. It marked the lead-up to Vietnam’s Great National Solidarity Day and upcoming congresses of Vietnamese community associations in Vientiane and Laos.
Coachino Insight
The tournament highlights pickleball’s role in community programming, bringing hometown clubs and businesses together around exercise, cultural identity and social connections.
