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.
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.
Hunter Johnson beat Tama Shimabukuro in the PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam men’s singles final, after defeating Federico Staksrud in the semifinals. Crowds packed Kai Tak Arena for an event offering $1.1 million in prize money and 1,500 World Pickleball Ranking points.
Staksrud’s quarterfinal comeback against Hong Kit Wong drew controversy: an extended equipment timeout and a 1-point penalty for inappropriate language preceded his 12-10 deciding-game win. Anna Leigh Waters won women’s doubles with Anna Bright and mixed doubles with Ben Johns.
Coachino Insight
For athletes and coaches, the Staksrud-Wong match puts equipment readiness and on-court conduct in focus: both became central issues during a closely contested deciding game.
Our analysis of today's trends: opinion, not reporting, drawn only from the verified stories above.
The U.S. court findings show strong backing among public-meeting speakers, not residents overall. For clubs seeking facilities, that distinction and local differences matter alongside the headline support.
Hong Kong Slam paired packed crowds and major prize money with a contentious quarterfinal. Equipment readiness and on-court conduct became central issues alongside competitive performance.
The Brunei bank friendly and Vientiane community tournament show pickleball serving social purposes beyond competition, connecting workplace peers and Vietnamese expatriates through exercise and shared activity.
Tournament Radar
Upcoming and in-progress events, checked against each organiser's official page.
Ed Ju has warned players about what he believes are counterfeit Life Time pickleballs, The Dink reports. In an Instagram post, he said a ball he switched to mid-session flew off his paddle and resembled an indoor ball, and that his own tests showed a big difference from a genuine one. At $6.50 a ball, he urged extra care with bulk orders.
The Dink notes his account cannot confirm where the balls came from. Fake paddles are already a known problem, and the UPA-A is coordinating a response across the industry.
Coachino Insight
Ball quality changes how a drill or match plays. Clubs and coaches buying in bulk should order from brands or authorised sellers and test a sample before stocking their courts.
Noé Khlif has been announced as an Arronax signing, according to an October 15 report by Pickleball Actu. The French publication cites Pickle361’s account of the Malaysian paddle brand’s October 11 announcement.
The same report notes that Khlif’s PPA Tour equipment profile still listed JOOLA on October 15. That discrepancy makes the distinction between a reported sponsorship announcement and an updated player listing important. The available coverage does not establish the agreement’s financial value or duration.
Coachino Insight
Coaches discussing equipment endorsements should separate the reported partnership from paddle suitability and check current product information before advising players.
Skechers has launched its first pickleball paddles in Malaysia, extending a range that until now covered shoes and clothing, Pickleball News Asia reports. The line has three carbon products: the SKX Titans Silver Titanium Carbon at RM309, the SKX Titans 12K Carbon at RM269 and a RM459 bundle with a paddle, three balls and a bag.
The two Titans paddles are sold in selected concept stores and online, while the bundle is only in outlet stores. Two of the paddles are listed as USA Pickleball approved.
Coachino Insight
A mass-market brand at these prices lowers the cost of a first carbon paddle. Coaches fitting beginners should still check approval listings and let players test weight and grip first.
