Heard this one? Can February March? No, but April May. Done rolling your eyes? The corny joke is a set up coz well, we do (most) things with intent.

See, our April issue was heavy reading with a ton of ‘Competition’ stuff (good features though) so, we decided our May issue will be a much lighter read…with an appreciative nod to Mother’s Day.

Our In da Hood follows up from the EPIC Championship we mentioned in our last issue. A men’s doubles team from SG (the last SG pair standing in the competition) won Bronze. We spoke to Richie, an understandably happy medalist.

The other big news In da Hood was the launch of TIBIA by Pickle & Bones at Millenia Walk, the second in-mall pop up in 2 months. We spoke to one of the bosses, Aazon who says he is super stoked BUT recovering from ‘decision fatigue’.

Mother’s Day gets 3 nods in this issue. The first one In da Club. A Reclub gathering of mummies who had a great time, as they should. We also have photos and mention from The Dink Assembly’s Reclub competition which, we hear, witnessed some high-quality play.

Our second nod to Mother’s Day comes in the form of Carina Lee, a multi-hyphenate mum who set aside her banking career for her son and is now a volunteer and exco member of the Parent-Teacher Association at St Andrew’s. She says Pickleball is part of her self-care which makes her Kind of a Big Dill.

Our third and final nod to Mother’s Day is a bumper photo gallery of Mums and their children in Whaddaya dink?. We have over 20 mummies and children on show. The kids are cute. The mums are cute. And some of the answers are a hoot.

We have our usual pet peeves under Re-serve and – sigh – update on our Mother’s Day competition (it’s mostly bad but with a sliver of Hope).

Have a read. Or looksee coz many, many photos in this issue. Subscribe (it’s free) and share (help grow the community lah).

If you have a Pickleball story or event you’d like us to feature (like we are looking for hot Pickleball playing Dads for our Father’s Day issue in June), email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp us at 9633 6586.

Happy Pickling now! 😋

The EPIC World Championship was held in SG from 30 April to 3 May, featuring 515 local and international amateur players (DUPR 3.0 to 5.0). The Men Doubles pair of Charles and Richie made us proud by clinching Bronze at the event.

We spoke to Richie, former #1 Men’s Open Singles Player 2003 & 2004 and current Head Coach of That Pickleball Academy.

Honestly, I think it was more relief than anything else. Both Charles and I weren’t really playing our best on Championship Sunday. It just felt like neither of us could fully get our engines going the whole day.

But I think one thing we both have is mental toughness. Even when things weren’t clicking, we just kept fighting point by point and somehow managed to grind our way to the win.

I wouldn’t call it coming out of retirement… more like a guest appearance lah. (laughs)

I actually had zero plans to play EPIC. But Charles messaged me about three hours before registration closed because his original partner got injured, and he asked if I wanted to team up.

I thought it’d be fun because we’ve never actually played together before. We’ve always been standing on opposite sides of the net in tournaments. So I just said, “Why not?”

Honestly…I didn’t. (laughs)

Right now, I’m fully focused on running That Pickleball Academy and also working on a physical retail space for That Pickleball Shop, so training wasn’t exactly high on the agenda.

I basically just showed up and hoped muscle memory would do the work.

I’m not too sure what Charles’ strategy was… but mine was honestly just vibes. (laughs)

I wanted to enjoy being back in a high-level tournament environment again. Since it was such a last-minute pairing, we only managed to play together once or twice before the event.

But somehow it just clicked naturally. I think we both understood each other’s game styles pretty quickly, and it ended up working really well.

Definitely the quarterfinals against the Thai pair. We were down 2–7 and somehow came back to win 17–15.

The SG crowd was unbelievable that night. The atmosphere felt electric and they genuinely carried us through some really tough moments. That’s something I’ll remember for a long time.

My parents and girlfriend were with me throughout the tournament, which really meant a lot. Even my brother came down with his wife and two daughters to support me.

But I think the biggest support came during that quarterfinal match because we were the last Singaporean men’s pair left in the draw.

People were literally standing/sitting on the floor around the court because there was no more space. Even the boss of The Sports Arina was sitting on the floor cheering us on. The support was honestly amazing and I’m super grateful for it.

Yeah, definitely! The enquiries have been coming in. But no, I’m still retired. (laughs) Right now, my focus is on growing the sport in SG through the academy and help raise the overall level of Pickleball here.

We want Singapore to eventually catch up with the standard of some of our neighbouring countries, and that’s something I’m really passionate about building.

I’m still waiting for my prize money first. (laughs)

Charles promised me Omakase, so I’m holding him to that.

I go broader picture first. I think for Adrian and myself from Day One we wanted to position Pickleball closer to Brands i.e. make it brand attractive while building our own brand so the tide lifts all the boats. We observed that many players in the market are kind of silo-ed into their own factions. We operate on an abundant mindset. We think the pie is big enough and is growing fast enough for everyone to have a slice.

How this came about was actually Millenia Walk slid into our DM. They had seen how we pack our space at Trifecta with programmes and activities with just one court so they asked us, what could we do if they offered us a space? Can we turn it into a little congregation point for Pickleball people?

We told them we can do it but we’d do it in our way with street vibes. That we can bring the crowds and the Pickleball community but they’d have to take us with our rough edges coz we are not events people. They agreed and we got here with about 2 months of planning.

TIBIA gives us the chance to put Pickleball directly in front of curious onlookers and brands, create more eyeballs for the sport, and hopefully convert some of the curiosity into real participation.

The partnership with Millenia Walk serves as a significant example of Brand Equity and Operational Proof of Concept. And the biggest challenges came from doing something quite ground-breaking i.e. bringing a proper Pickleball court into a mall environment for an extended period of 3 months. We had to balance safety, aesthetics, player experience, and brand experience, all within a very public and high-traffic setting. The people who supplied the court mats had never done it before. Same with the guys who put in the tent. They had not built something like this before. So it took an incredible assembly of committed vendors, sponsors, and partners to dream big with us, problem-solve together, and bring the idea to life. I was hopping on calls every day to firefight till I had ‘decision fatigue’.

In terms of brand partnerships, we discussed a lot about how we can engage an Adidas, Commune and HSBC Life. For example, Adidas is a global brand and they wanted entry into Pickleball but there isn’t really an entry point that aligned with their branding. They couldn’t go to any court/venue and just plaster their name all over without any storytelling. For us, we ae a community first and that aligned with their global strategy of going grassroots first. This synergy was mirrored in conversations with Commune and HSBC Life (who have recognised the high ROI of Pickleball via their own event at Expo) as well.

We will run our usual mini tournaments over here while working with some Millenia Walk tenants. We are in talks with HSBC Live on a larger scale tournament over two days with about 64 participants. We're also exploring a very fun concept. I will not tease you with it but stay tuned.

We have also farmed out coaching to quite a few established coaches in SG like Rey, Callista, That Pickleball Academy etc. It’s a reflection of how we work here by co-creating value.

The aim is to bring people on the periphery of Pickleball into the sport, while also helping the existing community progress up the skill ladder. Bringing only the best into our programming calendar, we want to make sure participants can take home a quality Pickleball experience at TIBIA.

Interest has been very encouraging since launch. We have seen strong curiosity from mall visitors, with many stopping to watch, ask questions, and learn more about the sport. An easy gauge would be our first week bookings, which topped 80%+ and we’re hoping this carries through to the end of the campaign. That was exactly what we hoped this pop-up would do: create visibility around the sport and turn everyday footfall into meaningful engagement with the sport.

From a business pov, I’ve received quite a few queries already on the back of just the (TIBIA’s) launch event. There is certainly a market for these pop-ups, especially in the quieter malls especially with a good atrium space. They're looking to gentrify the space a little bit, bring more life by bringing in the Pickleball dimension. So yes, we do see an opportunity and now with the know how and the community we can canvas, we are equipped to do things better faster bigger at another space.

The thing I love I enjoy most about running a Pickleball business is I get to sit in meetings with my underwear soaked through (laughs). This is one of the rare occasions I’m sitting here all comfortable. Usually I finish playing and head down to cafe at Trifecta, take a call completely drenched.

For me, having grown up playing Volleyball, Pickleball is a vastly different sport. I would say it stands in juxtaposition coz Volleyball has a high entry barrier. I took one to two years just to master how to pass and and set right. You can't play a proper game until Year Three or Four, unlike Pickleball where you can pick up the game quite quickly. Plus there is the community. I’ve met more people through Pickleball than in 10 years of playing Volleyball!

That’s why to me, this project means a lot coz Pickleball has given me a second life in semi-competitive sport. After my shoulder injury in 2024, caused by wear and tear from 10 years of Volleyball, I mostly retreated to the weight room and stopped daring to dream about competing again. Pickleball has given me that hope back, as it has for many others who come from different sporting backgrounds. It will not be easy, but it has reminded me that there is still room to compete, improve, and belong in sport again. For many in the working segment, Pickleball has become a competitive outlet and Pickle & Bones intends to up the ante of national and regional tournaments for players and brands.

The sport can only grow when it welcomes people from different backgrounds, each bringing their own hue of experience, expertise and stories into the game. So for anyone standing on the periphery, please walk through the door, connect with us, and share your ideas. That is how we build this community together.

Check out TIBIA at Millenia Walk

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Cairnhill CC, 8 May 2026

Franco (one half of the competition virgins we featured in Issue #4) is a co-founder of The Dinkz on Reclub that organises social games on a regular basis. He/The Dinkz gathered some mums from the Pickleball community for a special Mother’s Day event to celebrate them. The session was warm, relaxed and filled with laughter, a nice little break for the mums to connect, chat, and enjoy themselves playing Pickleball. We have pictures to prove it.

Pickle Padel Movement, 25 & 26 April 2026

Nate of The Dink Assembly (Issue #4) has a positive reputation in the PB scene for organising good Reclub competitions. We spoke to some participants from his latest Dink Assembly competition and this is what they had to say;

“Organizers were friendly who communicated through an app about match timings and WhatsApp on weather conditions.”

“Standard of participants was relatively high.”

“Prize of the J2CR  was very attractive.”

“It was pretty well organised without much waiting to play.”

“Would have been nice to offer some drinks or at least water.”

“Courts were decent but on certain courts the slope wasn’t even on one side of the court.”

“As a suggestion, at the Round Robin stage, instead of playing 1 game of 15pts, perhaps can play 2 sets of 11pts. Like Champions League football, there’s a return leg. 😜”

If you thought the pok-pok sound of the Pickleball was something, try adding the ‘washing’ sounds of Mahjong to it! 

A Friday Night Social That Brings Together Two Singapore Favourites

The event combines coach-guided Pickleball with relaxed Mahjong play in one beginner-friendly evening designed for play, conversation and meeting new people. Participants will spend equal time at Pickleball and Mahjong stations, with 60 minutes of Pickleball and 60 minutes of Mahjong across the evening. The event is capped at 32 participants, split into two groups of 16. One group starts at the Mahjong tables while the other begins on the Pickleball courts, before rotating through structured 30-minute blocks.

Mahjong x Pickleball Night by Play! Pickle
Date: Friday, 26 June 2026
Time: 8 PM to 10 PM
Venue: Play! Pickle Serangoon, 756 Upper Serangoon Road, #04-27, Singapore 534626
Fee: $58 per pax
Capacity: 32 pax
Includes: 60 minutes pickleball, 60 minutes mahjong, four pickleball courts, four mahjong tables, instructors for both stations, and all equipment

We are sorry that we couldn’t go ahead with our Mother’s Day event as planned.

The opening of Sports Arina at Jalan Kayu was delayed coz of SCDF permits and that affected our dates/plans. But TSA@Jalan Kayu JUST opened and we hear the courts are awesome (well done TSA).

SO we are thinking of offering free court time for mums once TSA@Jalan Kayu is running smoothly. It would be by registration. Like Reclub but no need to pay as long as you’re a mum lah. The session will be on us.

Let us share more once all the deets are confirmed.

Meanwhile, thank you for your kind (motherly) understanding 🧡 especially, the lovely mummies who have been contacting us and encouraging us through the delays. We is paiseh. And still a wee sad.

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I stopped work when Kieran was born. He’s now 16 so that was 16 years ago. I was in Promotion, Program and Marketing at OCBC. I went from Assistant Vice President to full-time mother overnight. It was tough on my self-esteem and self-worth. But it was tougher on Kieran who had learning challenges. I had to spend a lot of time with him, guiding him, being there for him, taking him to therapy sessions etc. There was no such thing as WFH back then and not a lot of parental leave. It was either work or family.

Today, I see a lot of people including my friends being able to balance Life better. To have a job, a family and a hobby (like Pickleball). I didn’t have that choice. And I’ve never regretted it.

I’m very thankful to the St Andrew’s family (or village coz it takes a village to raise a child). I’ve seen how Kieran’s teachers helped him, nurtured him and were always there to guide him as early as Junior school. And seeing Kieran's advancement in terms of what he was diagnosed with to what he has succeeded with now…it’s a lot to do with St Andrew’s and God’s grace.

Him passing his PSLE and continuing in a mainstream secondary school was a ‘WOW’, exceeding all my expectations. The day he received his PSLE score, we felt as if he was a top scorer in the whole of SG. It was that kind of a feeling. No doubt his journey has had lots of challenges but I think with his resilience, the care and commitment of St Andrew’s and glory to God, he made it and now…he’s sitting for another major exam at the end of this year. It’s just amazing!

When Kieran was in P3, I was invited to join the Parent-Teacher Association. I decided to volunteer as my way of giving back to the school that has done so much for my son. It was an easy decision plus my husband is an old boy.

I started and soon headed the Junior Saints Mum’s club (JSM). We did a lot to engage the mothers of St Andrew’s providing emotional support coz Life with a normal kid is already tough. Can you imagine families with special needs children? What they go through might be 110% tougher.

We organised a lot of talks on mindfulness, anxiety, stress relief to help the mums understand their situation, engage their children and bond with them. I, myself, gave one of these talks to the primary school parents when Kieran was In Sec 1.

The Junior school invited me back to speak to the parents of children with special education needs. I shared Kieran's journey…how he transitioned to secondary school to where he is in Life now. Everyone cried.

Today, I’m in the Saints Mums Club (SMC) and part of the Parent-Teacher association’s Exco. To me, giving back is being true the St Andrew’s belief, ‘One Family Unbroken.’

It’s true what they say, it takes a village to raise a child and for my sanity, that ‘village’ was St Andrew’s. My son had the Junior school principal, vice principal, teachers and counsellors to guide him and be my support. (Eternally thankful.)

Then came secondary school, the next phase of Kieran’s Life.

I got to know the principal, Mr Lee Han Hwa, who is just this dynamic and all-round fantastic person. He has been at St Andrew’s Secondary for around 3-4 years…think he is ex-SAJC. 

Mr Lee is a very sporty man and believes that sports is a great way for the boys to bond with their parents. He sets the tone himself by joining the boys during PE lessons and CCAs. He’s made interclass and inter house games bigger. And he even got parents to participate in the school cross country, giving medals to the Top 10 fathers and mothers. (The first year I came in 11^th, just missing out. This year I medalled!)

It’s under his leadership, that St Andrew’s became the B Division Rugby Champions of 2026, defeating ACS.

And he’s the reason why Pickleball got introduced to the boys, why there’s an inter house tournament where parents compete with Sec 3 boys.

He even hosts Pickleball sessions as part of his Principal-Parent dialogues. 

To stay healthy and active, Pickleball has filled an important void in my life. At the age of 50, I finally ticked it off my bucket list (the other one was to get a dog!). With my children now more independent (Caelyn is in JC), I find myself with more time on my hands. Over the years, I realised that much of my energy had been devoted to caring for others. It was time to focus on self-care and my well-being.

Pickleball has allowed me to do just that. It has connected me with fellow mothers in school and introduced me to a diverse community of players ranging from 30 to 70 years old. The seniors, in particular, inspire me to stay fit, remain mentally sharp, and be quicker on my feet.

I hope to continue staying healthy and injury-free so that I can keep playing Pickleball and age gracefully. 🥰

I make it a point to play Pickleball only during school hours, typically on weekdays from 10.30am to 2.30pm, about 3-4 times a week. This allows me to stay committed to my family while still pursuing something I love.

Interestingly, Pickleball has also taught my children independence. They understand that I can’t always be there, and this has encouraged them to take on more responsibility and grow in maturity.

SASSy Saints started coz of the Inter house Pickleball competition where we got whipped by the Sec 3 boys last year. It led to us taking coaching lessons, drilling and taking the game a little more seriously. 

I was able to secure indoor court rentals at the school’s sports hall. The group today has 18 regular players and a growing waitlist. We meet every Saturday morning, with smaller weekday sessions organised as well.

Beyond the courts, we do quarterly JB trips + makan sessions, karaoke, and family gatherings. These events include spouses and children, creating opportunities for deeper connections. I believe we are building a strong, supportive community within St. Andrew’s, one that has positively impacted many families.

When I first started, my family would jokingly say, “Pickleball again?” But over time, they’ve come to see it as an important part of my healthy lifestyle.

During a family holiday to Vietnam, my husband surprised me with a Selkirk Boomstik paddle, and my daughter gifted me a glow-in-the-dark Pickleball for my birthday. These thoughtful gestures mean a lot to me and show their support for my passion.

Yes! They’ve seen how Pickleball has become a great way for me to relieve stress.

It has also strengthened connections. During Chinese New Year, Pickleball became a common topic among relatives I wasn’t very close to before. Since then, we’ve even played games together!

I’ve also introduced the sport to my sisters-in-law and nieces, and we now play occasionally as a family. (My mum hardly sees me nowadays. She thinks I'm working for the school.)

I personally feel more energetic, like a more balanced person. That reminds me, take your vitamins!

Step out of your comfort zone.

Pickleball is incredibly addictive, once you start, you’d want to keep playing! That said, it’s important to learn proper techniques from the beginning to stay safe and avoid injuries.

Make time for your health and friendships. It’s truly worth it.

One, to expand The Saints Pickleball Club to include St. Andrew’s alumni parents.

Two, to compete in the senior Pickleball category when I turn 55 (52 now!).

Three, to participate in more overseas games and tournaments.

Motherhood has taught me resilience and patience, qualities that I bring into every game.

My daughter, who is in the national softball team, and I often share experiences about sportsmanship and how sports build character and confidence. 

I‘m able to identify better with her in terms of her mindfulness and have a more personal dialogue with her. To understand where she is coming from, understanding her opponent’s strengths and weaknesses etc.

What she does is way tougher coz she plays outdoors while I’m playing a (mostly) indoor sport. But the values are the the same and they continue to shape both my parenting and my approach to Pickleball.

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The saying goes, “God couldn’t be everywhere so he invented Mothers”. But what if the mums are busy playing Pickleball? We spoke to some Pickleball playing mums and asked them;

1) Do your children approve of you playing Pickleball?

2) Name a Pickleball term that applies to Motherhood.

3) What would a trophy from your children say? 

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A seasoned Coach told us that no matter what anyone says about playing Pickleball ‘for fun’, everybody wants to win. Especially social games. All it takes is one hard-fought point and everyone’s invested. What happens when people lose? There are reasons and there are reasons. And we’ve heard our fair share on court.

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You’ve reached the end of our newsletter. Share it with a Pickleball friend/loved one/kaypoh. And if you have a Pickleball story or event you’d like us to feature, email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp us at 9633 6586.

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