August is our National Day-month. Happy (belated) National Day e’bady!

The month kicked off with the wrapping up of Pesta Sukan Pickleball (congrats to all the winners!). As soon as that was done, it was National Day fever as many Reclubs and Pickleball folks let loose with red, white and ‘Home’. We caught up with a few of them, including some Thai expat wives who live and love Pickleball in SG (In da Club).

In da Hood had us checking out the first-ever MiLP (Minor League Pickleball) competition in SG. Then there was PickleMall, the latest Pickleball-in-a-mall iteration after PlazaSing and Millenia Walk. We also caught a glimpse of our Young Lions prepping for their upcoming Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang and want to wish them our very best!

Our Kind of a Big Dill person for August is Rizza, a co-founder of the very popular PV Club. Rizza came highly recommended as someone we should chat with, by no less than 10 different individuals…talk about having good word-of-mouth. So we did.

With all the wholesomeness, we felt we needed a lil edge so our Whaddaya dink? is about Pickleball players with nice/cool tattoos, all with personal significance. We also had our eyes peeled for Pickleball players who bring the ‘oomph’ to court style and swagger-wise (Holding Court). Dress up for a game sometimes, will ya?

Our Re-serve dabbles in Reclub Kudos people like to receive. And hate receiving.

As usual, read, skim, check out the pictures. Subscribe (it’s free) and share. Help the community grow (again, it’s FREE!)

If you have a Pickleball story or event you’d like us to feature (get your profile up, build your personal brand etc), email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp us at 9633 6586.

Happy Pickling now! ✌🏼


Note: Coz of our extended National Day feature, we hit ‘pause’ on our roll call of Pickleball coaches till next month. Sowie.

Rizza: It started out with a bunch of my close group friends that used to do a bunch of group activities together and communed at a rental unit called Parc Vera. That's where the name PV comes from.

We came from different sporting backgrounds and started playing tennis and badminton together. Eventually we tried padel and then Pickleball was introduced to us and we stuck to it. After 3 months of the same group playing together, we decided to venture out. My brother who was joining us wanted to buy his own paddle. So we found a guy on Carousell and asked him, "Hey dude, where do you usually play your games?" He told us about Reclub and we started to join different groups. And then we thought, “Hey, why not host ourselves?”

In the first month we grew from 8 of us to 30-40 people to now over 3,500 members after a year and a half. We have an IG page (over 1000 followers) for people to be featured, brand collaborations etc. And we give back to the community by doing paddle and product giveaways at every one of our milestones.

R: What gave me the courage to pursue this as a business was seeing returning members during our sessions. After some regular weekly hosting, we hosted a tournament called Lucky 13 last July and the response was incredible! More than 16 teams wanted to play, the main bulk being regulars from our weekly sessions. At that stage, social Pickleball was still at its infancy. Not a lot of people had participated in a tournament let alone a team event.

After that tournament we ramped up our sessions from twice a week to three times a week. My contract with LTA was ending around then (Oct/Nov 2025) and Kings Arena approached us to host our games there. That's when I told my co-founder Fitri “let's do this full-time and work with different venue operators and help them build communities” as there was a gap for social Pickleball. I think the confidence came from the fact that Fitri and I were SQ stewards and we had an essence of hospitality. Like we always make it a point to remember the names of people at our sessions (SQ training ingrained in us). Rather than calling someone ‘Dude’, ‘Bro’ or ‘Sis’, we address them by name so they feel a sense of belonging.

I always wanted to do sports for a living and getting a sports diploma at the poly (followed by a business degree), getting my Pickleball coaching certificate in a month, even being the Pickleball Convenor at LTA…l realized I could leverage the different skills and knowledge I’ve gained from school, work experience and community building to actually make a living out of the sport.

R: Empathy. And listening to what the participants desire – whether it's different formats or a tournament for the community. What attracts people to Pickleball is the social aspect of it. Like it’s nice to be called by your name when you come to a session even if you’ve been away for a bit. Like we did in SG Airlines.

Also, not every session is going to be filled with people of the same level. Empathy will ensure the newer players don’t feel intimidated. That’s why I always encourage people to tell their playing partners, “Hey I'm new at this game, please be a bit more patient with me.” I think 90 even 99% of S’poreans would be happy to accommodate.

With advanced players, we need to cater to their need to get some good games in. Which is why we have different days to cater to different groups of people. More courts as well. That’s how the club can evolve and with it, the host has to evolve as well. You need to curate the sessions in a manner where people feel comfortable and the environment is safe.

R: Coming from a service-oriented background and very hospitality-driven, it’s important to accommodate people, listen to different opinions and try to cater to the mass majority. But it does take its toll sometimes where it emotionally and/or mentally drains me. Your social energy can’t be 100% when you are dealing with people from different backgrounds, cultures, even different countries 3-4 times a week, twice on some days! It’s like being an emcee on National Day! That’s why I’m thankful that my co-hosts can match my energy and meet the standards we want when we run our sessions.

A lot of my mantra is vibes…the host has to radiate the kind of energy/vibes that people come for in a PV session. Sometimes, the regulars set the tone (without me or my co-hosts). They know the expectations that I have and ease the burden. I think being the ‘nice guy’ is like personal branding. If you’re not the best at the sport, at least have a decent character and respect everyone for who they are.

R: We decided to take on the franchise and host it here in SG as there aren’t many team events here. And after doing Lucky 13, our own team event, which uses a similar format to MiLP, it was a no-brainer. As MiLP is an offshoot of MLP (Major League Pickleball), there wasn’t much need for marketing. The brand carries itself. Knowing that and knowing our last two tournaments had very good responses, we were confident as team format competitions were our ‘forte’.

What we learnt from it was, the legwork still needs to be done, and we can’t just depend on the hype that the Minor League Pickleball brand brought. (Read more about the inaugural MiLP in In da Hood.)

R: My biggest worry isn't that Pickleball is growing too quickly. It's that we might measure the wrong things. I think SG has a really unique opportunity because we're still early enough to decide what kind of Pickleball culture we want.

I don't think growth is the problem. I think growth without intention is the problem. We can absolutely have professional tournaments, commercial venues, sponsors, ratings, elite athletes and serious competition. I want all of that. But underneath all of it, we need to protect the thing that made Pickleball explode in the first place – community. Because courts can be built. Tournaments can be organised. Ratings can be calculated. Businesses can be created. But a community is much harder to rebuild once you've lost it. And I think if SG gets that balance right, we won't just build a bigger Pickleball industry, we’d build a genuinely sustainable sporting ecosystem that people actually want to be part of.

R: Personally, as a club, as a business, I want to have a venue to operate from in 5-10 years’ time. Imagine 10-12 venues with a club operating out of every one of them. Like in the US where every state has a Pickleball team. But the infrastructure in SG has to be there first.

I hope Pickleball in SG becomes much bigger than just a sport that people play. I see it becoming a platform that brings different industries, brands and communities together. I think the next evolution is going to be about creating an actual Pickleball ecosystem. I can see professional Pickleball clubs emerging in SG, with proper rosters, coaches, sponsors, academies and pathways for players to develop. There’s already something like that at the club level (British club, Swiss club, SCC, SICC etc).

I’d love to see leagues where people don't just turn up for one tournament and go home, but actually follow teams and players throughout a season. SG could eventually have 2–4 professional franchises, with players, sponsors, fanbases and home venues; almost a football-club model adapted to Pickleball. And I think that's where the really interesting commercial opportunity comes in. 

Pickleball can become a platform for brands outside of Pickleball to enter the sporting ecosystem. I don't think the biggest opportunity in Pickleball is selling paddles to players. It's giving brands a reason to connect with a community that happens to love Pickleball. And importantly, I don't think the community side should disappear as that happens.

My ideal future is one where you have the professional layer sitting at the top, but underneath it you still have thousands of people playing casually every week. The pros create aspiration. The leagues create stories. The tournaments create entertainment. The brands create investment. And the community creates the foundation.

R: Firstly, this is SG. You expect to see people from different backgrounds when you step onto a court. And that’s one of the things I love coz once you step onto the court, a lot of the things that might otherwise define us become secondary. I don't really care what race you are, what language you speak, what you do for a living or where you come from. If we're on the same court, we're just four people trying to hit a ball over a net. You may not know the person but it’s easy to get into healthy banter (the small court helps as you can speak across the net). Like I’ve been owned by a 50-year old uncle…didn’t matter that he was Indian, Malay, Chinese or Eurasian. Pickleball is the only sport where even if I lose and I still have a damn good time!

Of coz, as a diverse society, it’s natural that people would sometimes gravitate towards those who look, speak or behave like them. Sport gives us a really easy excuse to break out of those circles. I've personally seen people who probably would never have crossed paths in their normal lives become friends through Pickleball. You get different ages, races, professions, nationalities and social circles playing together. And that's something I think we have to protect as Pickleball becomes bigger.

I don't want people to see me simply as a person from a particular race who happens to play Pickleball. I'd rather be known as someone who helped create a space where everyone feels like they can pick up a paddle and be part of something. Ultimately, the biggest thing Pickleball can give SG isn't just another sport to play, it's another place for the people living in SG to meet people they otherwise might never have met.

R: I look forward to meeting new people. Like, “Hey, here’s a name I’ve not seen before” so it’s nice to get to know them, where they come from, whether they are a serious player or a social player…learn about their personality. I look forward to conversations and interactions with new players while waiting for our games.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I dread any type of player but I avoid players who give unsolicited coaching advice. Sometimes it’s just in their nature. They want to win the game so badly that they want their partner to play better immediately. I’ll try and not get into many games with such players but if a person becomes overbearing and several members of the community give me feedback like they don’t want to play with the person or nobody signs up (or they drop out) when he/she signs up then we treat them like an adult and just say, “Hey, maybe you join another session. Or maybe this session isn’t suitable for you.” I still try to be sensitive to them. Everybody's got an ego, young or old.

R: I have a girlfriend. I met her through Pickleball. She came for one of my sessions and lives down the road from me. She is a better player than I am. Has medalled in more local tournaments than I have. She usually co-hosts some of our sessions but coz she’s so good, other people ask her to play with them or train with them. We’ve played in a few mixed doubles tournaments…she usually carries me. (laughs)

“I got into Pickleball the very first time I tried it. It became a monthly thing then a weekly thing. I like the sound of the ‘pop’...and the paddle designs. It’s like badminton and table tennis combined…super fun. At first I was quite shy and only played with friends but then I got into joining (Reclub) games on my own. These days I meet my Pickleball friends more than my best friend! My parents don’t know what I’m talking about so I show them videos. Initially, it was hard to find Malays playing Pickleball but now, here we are hosting our own games. I try to ask my friends to join in, like I can book a court…sometimes people see me post on IG. They go, “Wow, you’ve picked up Pickleball” and I tell them to give it a try and that they’d be hooked too. Thanks to Pickleball, I’ve met new friends…friends who like to disturb me, your true friends.”

- Nad

“I heard of Rizza through word-of-mouth and then joined his PV club and their sessions. It also helps that his games at SRC are very convenient for me. I used to think Pickleball is a Chinese sport but it’s nice to see that the Malay community has embraced it. It’s good that we have another sport to explore, get fitter and stay healthier. People should play Pickleball coz you’d meet a lot of good people along the way!”

- Fifi

“I got hooked on Pickleball coz I like its whole social thing. I don’t know about other countries but here in SG or the PV Club, what matters the most is not winning but the community we have with us…new people we meet who keep coming back and from there we grow a bond. We first started with Shopee paddles but then one person started buying like a $200-$300 paddle and suddenly we became experts in Pickleball paddles, shoes etc…Pickleball is a fun sport to play, all-inclusive…I’ve seen very big people move so well on court. We have friends from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and the States…they come and play with us and we keep in contact when they return home.

We have definitely seen a significant growth of Malay players. When we first started, most players were non-Malays. Then we introduced the game to our cousins, our relatives…some of them did pick it up, some of them even came for our sessions. How would I grow the sport within the community? I’d go directly to where ‘community’ exists like the mosques and have events that are sports or health-related. We are certified coaches so we can conduct beginner-level PB clinics, create a core group that eventually makes its way to the PV Club.”

- Fitry, co-founder of PV Club

“A lot of my football friends have transitioned to Pickleball coz the injury is more manageable. We are getting older so we want to enjoy the sport but not the recovery part. A year ago I was the only Malay playing Pickleball and now, I see more Malays playing. For minorities, like the Malays and Indians, our food makes us bigger. In Pickleball you are always running and always perspiring…always losing weight. I, myself, have lost 16kg playing Pickleball! Thanks to Pickleball, I can eat more and enjoy better food, guilt-free.”

- Fayyadh, co-founder of PV Club

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We continue our photo feature of Pickleball players who stand out on court for their sense of style and swagger. Coz while playing Pickleball is good, making it look good is 😎🔥

On the heels of the PPA Asia 500, comes MiLP (Minor League Pickleball). Licensed and brought in by PV Club, the inaugural competition was held over the National Day weekend at ARK Sports Village.

It's a team format Pickleball tournament involving 2 males and 2 females, with several divisions that players can sign up for based on their DUPR. The divisions are based on the total DUPR of the 4 players, with each DUPR division having a cap on how high a player's DUPR can be.

We didn't get the desired amount of sign ups but were still thankful to have enough teams to run every division that we wanted.

We did DUPR 12, DUPR 14, DUPR 14 (35+) and DUPR 16. DUPR 12 had 13 teams, and the other divisions had 8 teams each. Because the planning and the acquisition of the license was late, we were not able to advertise the tournament early and did not manage to secure enough sponsors as compared to what we got for Lucky 13 in May.

The format is the same as what all MiLPs use around the world. Each player plays their gender doubles, and then mixed doubles, and if the games are tied for every matchup at 2-2, all players are to play a singles Dreambreaker as a tiebreaker.

The next one is likely to be during another long weekend over 7-8th November. This time round we'll open registrations early so teams can start rallying up their members and train for the event together. We are likely to also keep the same 4 divisions across both days.

We'll also start reaching out to brands and organisations early to seek some form of sponsorship, and see how we, as the organizers, can help these brands in forms of brand visibility and experiential activations, marketing, content creation. At the end of the day, our biggest selling point to these companies is the access to a targeted community that we've built for the past year or so.

The best possible scenario for the next MiLP event is to not just be a great tournament but an experience for the participants and spectators, where there are different engagements done by sponsor brands, whether it’s on-site engagements, lucky draws, giveaways..

Imagine coming to a Pickleball tournament with your kids to support your partner, and the kids can go on a bouncy castle, or ride some trains, cars around the venue. You can get food, drinks, even alcohol. Like a carnival of sorts!

First there was the ACUVUE Rallies at PlazaSing. Then came Tibia at Millenia Walk. And now we have PickleMall by Leapmotor, a new series of mall-hosted Pickleball pop ups which kicked off officially at Sengkang Grand Mall on 20 Aug. We popped in, chatted with some of the folks and took a ton of pix.

PickleMall by Leapmotor is a sports-lifestyle initiative by Stratgeist Sports that transforms shopping mall atriums into immersive Pickleball destinations. PickleMall brings Pickleball into everyday public spaces, making it easier for more S’poreans to discover and try/play the sport.

Following its launch at Sengkang Grand Mall, PickleMall will pop up in other mall locations across SG like Junction8, Aperia Mall and Geneo as part of its vision to make Pickleball more visible and accessible.

“PickleMall was born from a simple idea: what if shopping malls could become places where people don’t just shop, but play, connect and build community? Pickleball is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports because it’s social, accessible and brings people together, and we’re excited to bring that energy into some of SG’s most vibrant retail spaces.

We hope PickleMall becomes a platform where brands, communities and everyday S’poreans connect through sport. We’re incredibly grateful to partners like Leapmotor, CapitaLand and JOOLA who believed in this vision. PickleMall is only possible through a shared belief that active communities create stronger communities.”

- Jason, Founder of PickleMall and Stratgeist (+ Pickleball nut)

SG’s young guns are off to the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang that will run from 30 Aug to 6 Sep. We caught them ON National Day, working on their games with Aron of That Pickleball Academy, watched on by supportive parents. The team won’t have it easy as they are grouped with host nation and hot favourites Vietnam and Australia but we’re confident they will learn from this competition and make us all proud.

Tattoos used to be taboo, a mark of rebellion. Now they are a form of self-expression. Some Pickleball players have turned what was once a stigma into a statement. We asked them;

1) How many tattoos do they have?

2) What is the meaning/significance behind their favourite tattoo?

3) Have PB players commented on their tattoo(s)? What have they said?

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“I was honestly very encouraged by the response from the Reclub community. The National Day game filled up quickly, and it was heartwarming to see everyone excited to come together, wear red and white, and celebrate through Pickleball.

It made all the planning and effort feel truly worthwhile. We had 54 people sign up, so it was a full house! We played National Day songs throughout the games, and some players even sang along. Everyone participated enthusiastically, and the overall atmosphere was lively and festive.

🇸🇬 I would love to do it again next year, hopefully with everyone in red and white! 🇸🇬” 

– Serene, Collective Pickleball Founder

Patty and her Thai friends love Pickleball and SG, not necessarily in that order. They marked National Day their own way and chatted with us about life in SG.

Tent: “What I love most about SG is that it makes me feel like anything is possible.”

Malika: “It’s a small country with such big energy.”

Joe: “There’s always something new happening, yet you can still find beautiful pockets of nature and quiet. I love that balance.”

Mook: “What I love most about SG is its sense of unity and how people from different backgrounds live together in harmony.”

Patty: ‘’I love how SG brings together so many different cultures, yet still feels like one community.”

Patty: “I’d take the spirit of multiculturalism and community. SG has such a unique way of bringing people from different backgrounds together, through food, sports, and everyday life. Especially through Pickleball, I’d love to see that spirit connect our communities and help grow the sport together.”

Malika: “SG doesn’t just dream big. It builds the systems to turn those dreams into reality.”

Joe: “Bak Kwa! And, of course, as much delicious local food as I could fit in my suitcase!” 😄

Mook: “If there’s one thing I could bring back to Thailand, it would be SG’s high level of efficiency and well-organised systems.”

Malika: “I’d bring a little more Thai warmth to SG. We grow up learning to smile, make people feel comfortable, share food, and enjoy being together. After living here for more than fifteen years, SG has taught me so much about efficiency and ambition, and I’ve also been lucky to experience so much kindness and generosity from the people here. I’d love to bring a little more of that Thai warmth back into everyday life.”

Tent: “Thai mango sticky rice!” 😄

Joe: “Thailand can remind us that sometimes it’s important to slow down, enjoy the moment, and simply have a good time.”

Mook: “If there’s one thing I wish SG would adopt from Thailand, it would be our warm hospitality.”

Tent: Dink. Laugh. Repeat.

Joe:  Social. Addictive. Energetic.

Mook: Fun. Friends. Fit. 

Patty: Fit. Fab. Food. 

Malika: Fun. Fit. Forever.

Mook: Fun. Friends. Fit.

PC answer by the Ladies: ‘’It’s difficult to say that one is higher because SG and Thailand are at different stages in their Pickleball journeys, and each has its own strengths. Rather than comparing who is better, we think what’s exciting is the opportunity for the two communities to learn from each other. We’d much rather see SG and Thailand raise the standard of Pickleball in Asia together than compete over who is ahead.”

Our National Day celebration brought together players from Bedok, Eunos, East Coast and Tampines, gathering at Bedok South Neighbourhood Park for a morning that felt unmistakably – and wonderfully – S’porean.

We opened with the singing of Majulah Singapura, followed by classic National Day tunes that had everyone tapping their feet, before reciting the pledge as one spirited kampong. And because no true local celebration is complete without food, the courts transformed into a mini hawker haven: soon kueh, fried carrot cake, colourful Peranakan kueh, traditional putu mayam, baos and a special National Day cake that became the centrepiece.

The highlight was the intergenerational Dreambreaker showdown, a spirited match where young and old played, cheered and laughed together.

More than games and food, the day was a celebration of community, connection and kampong spirit. Made stronger through Pickleball, shared memories, and the joy of marking SG61 together.

What a wonderful way to celebrate SG! 🇸🇬❤️🏓

“What started in Nov 2025 as a simple idea to improve our Pickleball game and gather like-minded players has grown into a Sunday constant for 12–18 players every weekend. ‘Good Vibes with Johnson’ (Johnson is the founder) is more than just Pickleball. It’s a community built on friendship, laughter and a shared love for the game. Proudly sporting our SG-flag jerseys, we bring energy and character to every session. With good vibes, plenty of laughter and cool music filling the court every Sunday, it’s truly a sight and sound to behold. We come together to play, connect, improve and, most importantly, have a great time.”

– Bernard

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THIS was straightforward. We asked people what Reclub Kudos they like to receive and what Kudos they disliked getting. There was a near-unanimous winner for disliked Kudos and…we agree. We hate it too. But Kudos people like/love…good variation across the board.

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