(From left) Kuching Pickleball Association president Ruslan Bujang, Malaysia Pickleball Association vice president Harmeet Singh, Wong, MATTA Pickleball Grand Slam organising chairman Oscar Choo, Business Events Sarawak chief executive officer Amelia Roziman and Sarwak Pickleball Association president Delima Ibrahim during the official launch of the MATTA Malaysia Pickleball Grand Slam 2025 website in Kuala Lumpur.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) has announced the official launch of the MATTA Malaysia Pickleball Grand Slam 2025 (MPG 2025) website.
Registration for players participating in MPG2025 will commence on May 1 at 12:01am through its website.
Riding on this momentum, MATTA is proud to announce that MPG2025, the association’s first-ever pickleball tournament with the largest cash prize pool, is set to take place in Kuching, Sarawak from Oct 7 to 20.
Malaysia’s fastest-growing sport is making waves, and the numbers speak for themselves. Surpassing 30 registered pickleball associations and clubs under the Sports Commissioner of Malaysia since July 2024, the sport has since seen an incredible surge in participation within the recent 90-day period.
What quickly evolved from a niche pastime has now transitioned into a national sporting sensation firmly placing itself in the country’s sporting landscape.
“At MPG, pickleball meets tourism and at MATTA, the association sees its great potential and strength in promoting and developing sports turism, as well as connecting communities across borders through shared passion and healthy competition.
“Tournaments like MPG2025 are designed to encourage both inbound and outbound travel, global friendships and cultural exchange through pickleball,” said MATTA president Nigel Wong.
In line with this initiative, MATTA introduces a brand-new feature at the April 2025 MATTA Fair: two demonstration pickleball courts located at Level 1, Hall 4. This offers visitors a first-hand experience of the sport and showcasing Malaysia’s commitment to developing niche tourism segments, including sports tourism.
With a cash prize pool of RM100,000, MPG2025 is set to attract over 1,350 players and more than 2,600 spectators, contributing an estimated RM31.6mil in tourism revenue.
The tournament aims to position Malaysia as a leading sports tourism destination in South-East Asia.
MATTA calls out to all pickleball enthusiasts to register for both local and international participants in the following categories:
• Team event (Adult Open): Oct 7–13;
• Individual event (Adult and Junior Open): Oct 15–20.
Endorsed by the Malaysia Pickleball Association, Sarawak Pickleball Association and Kuching Pickleball Association and supported by the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as Entrepreneur Development Sarawak and the Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Ministry, the MPG2025 is set to kick start the further development of pickleball as a competitive and recreational sport for the people and developing domestic and inbound tourism.
With MATTA spearheading the organisation and promotion, this event is in line with Malaysia’s vision of strengthening its tourism sector through innovative and high-impact program and activity.
The MPG2025 is set to become a not-to-be-missed event that promotes sports, healthy living, community engagement, international collaboration and long-term tourism growth and development.
