Pickleball demonstration court at TaiSPO in Taipei
A pickleball demonstration court at TaiSPO in Taipei on March 29, 2025. File photo illustrating the sport; it does not show the Sabah tournament or The Good Club. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2025_TaiSPO_Pickleball_Demo_Court.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Wikimedia thumbnail used. Rico Shen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Sabah is preparing to host the Borneo International Pickleball Open from Oct. 16 to 18 at The Good Club in Kota Kinabalu, with doubles events spanning open, intermediate and novice competition.

Organising chairperson Elaine Fong Yee Ling said 536 players were expected from countries and territories including Japan, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Brunei, according to an Oct. 6 report by Utusan Borneo. That is the organisers' anticipated turnout, rather than a final count of players who have competed.

The opening ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Oct. 16 at the venue on Jalan Mat Salleh in Tanjung Aru. Borneo Kelab Rekreasi Pickleball is organising the tournament with recognition from the Sabah Pickleball Association and support from the state's tourism, culture and environment ministry.

Three Levels Of Doubles Competition

The event listing on SabahTravel sets out RM29,700 in cash prizes: RM8,700 for Open Mixed Doubles, RM14,700 across the intermediate division and RM6,300 across the novice division. Intermediate and novice play each include men's, women's and mixed doubles categories.

The listed skill thresholds are DUPR 3.999 and below for intermediate players, and DUPR 3.299 and below for novices. Previous podium winners are excluded from the novice division. The open mixed event has its own eligibility requirements, so players should use the category conditions rather than assume a novice or intermediate rating establishes open eligibility.

Each booking represents a two-player team. The listing says detailed match schedules and court assignments will be supplied to registered participants by the organising committee, and notes that the programme can change.

Those conditions are relevant to competitors planning their attendance. The tournament dates define the three-day event window but do not establish an individual team's reporting time or court assignment.

Preparations At The Venue

Sabah tourism ministry Permanent Secretary Josie Lai inspected the courts on Monday, Oct. 12, according to a Daily Express report published Oct. 14. She was accompanied by Sabah Tourism Board deputy chief executive officer Tay Shu Lan and Fong.

The report said representatives of I-World Travel and Tours and Sense Vacation also attended. The organisers thanked the companies for support in planning, promotion and collaboration with tourism partners.

The inspection adds a recent preparation update before Friday's opening. It does not announce a change to the venue or competition dates.

Sport And Tourism Share The Programme

Utusan Borneo reported that the overall package of cash, trophies and goods was valued above RM30,000. This broader total is compatible with the booking page's RM29,700 cash pool because it includes non-cash items. The cash figure should not be presented as the value of the entire prize package.

The organisers said trophies would feature Sabah's proboscis monkey and that local community members had helped colour them. These details connect the event's presentation with the state's wildlife identity.

Sports tourism is an intended benefit of bringing overseas participants to Kota Kinabalu. Actual visitor spending and wider economic effects have not been established by the pre-event announcements. The immediate developments to watch are the confirmed field, the final competition schedule and the results once play begins.