KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will host the Borneo International Pickleball Open 2026 from 16 to 18 October, with more than RM30,000 in cash prizes, trophies and gifts up for grabs.
Organising chairperson Datin Elaine Fong Yee Ling said the tournament is organised by Borneo Kelab Rekreasi Pickleball and sanctioned by the Sabah Pickleball Association. The Good Club is the official venue partner, while the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment and Explore Sabah are supporting the event.
The opening ceremony will take place at 10am on 16 October at The Good Club, TL1019, Jalan Mat Salleh, Tanjung Aru.
Fong said the tournament will feature Open Mixed Doubles, Intermediate Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles, and Novice Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
Prize money in the Open Mixed Doubles category is RM5,000 for the champion, RM2,500 for the runner-up and RM1,200 for third place.
In the Intermediate categories, champions will receive RM2,800, runners-up RM1,400 and third-place finishers RM700. In the Novice categories, the prizes are RM1,200, RM600 and RM300 respectively.
All winners will receive a distinctive trophy featuring Borneo’s proboscis monkey, celebrating Sabah’s iconic wildlife. Fong said members of the local community had also helped colour the trophies.
“We are killing two birds with one stone. With the help of international competitions like the Borneo International Pickleball Open 2026, we are not only promoting healthy sports development but also boosting Sabah’s tourism growth by getting first-time visitors from other parts of the world to set foot in the State,” Fong said in a statement on Wednesday.
She said 536 players from countries and regions including Japan, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, China and Brunei are expected to compete.
The organisers have also invited 26 selected influencers and personalities from sport and entertainment in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. Fong said the aim was to raise Sabah’s international profile through their coverage of the tournament.
“We want more international audiences to get to know the Land Below the Wind—not only as an ideal tourist destination, but also as a place suited to hosting international sporting events,” she said.
Among the invited personalities are Protech ambassadors Perry Kuan and Chan Peng Soon, Hong Kong actor and sports and lifestyle personality Hugo Wong, Hong Kong sports creator Samantha Wong, and Miss International Macau 2016 Sulin Ip.
Malaysians in Sabah interested in taking part can contact Christy Keoh Wen Jing on 016-8304710.-pr/BNN
