Kota Kinabalu: The inaugural Sabah Open Pickleball Championships 2026 kicked off Thursday at Replay Karamunsing in Kota Kinabalu, marking a landmark milestone with an impressive field of 538 players.
Organised by Replay Karamunsing in collaboration with Borneo Vision Holiday Sdn. Bhd., the four-day tournament features an attractive total prize pool of RM100,000.
Headlining the event is Asia’s top-ranked player and world number six, Quang Duong, alongside his brother Bao Duong and fellow Vietnamese professional Sophia Tran Phuong Anh.
During a press conference on Thursday, the trio expressed their admiration for Sabah’s stunning coastal scenery and the warm hospitality of their hosts.
Quang also hoped his participation would help promote Sabah as a premier global pickleball destination.
Other notable contenders likely to make their mark include American Roman Estareja, Indonesian Frisandyo Fauzan, former national tennis player Neem Shamsuddin, and Sabah’s own Steffan Alex and former national squash player Jessica Keng.
Organising chairman Lamardani Jonaeli stated that following the positive response, plans are underway to expand future editions to attract more international top players.
“Replay Pickleball Club is committed to establishing the Sabah Open Pickleball Championship as an annual international event, with Replay serving as its primary hub.
“We also hope to expand the scale next year — increasing the number of categories beyond the current 11 — to attract even more top players from abroad,” he said.
Meanwhile, Borneo Vision Holiday Sdn. Bhd. managing director Wilson Ngu highlighted the company’s aim to merge sports with tourism through their support of the Sabah Open Pickleball Championship.
“The answer is simple. We want to do sport tourism – sports plus tourism. That is the motive because pickleball is growing rapidly all over the world,” he noted.
His vision is to leverage this rising popularity of pickleball to introduce visitors to the stunning landscape and rich culture of Sabah, ultimately boosting local tourism and creating new opportunities for engagement within the sports community.
Also present at the press conference was Youth Development, Sports Advancement and Creative Economy Ministry’s chief assistant secretary Joseph Ivor Bachee.
