Ethan Chan Kah Jun Wins Back-to-Back Podiums with Brandon

Ethan Chan Kah Jun medaled twice in the space of ten days, closing a strong August with a silver in U18 Singles and a bronze in U16 Doubles on the sport's biggest international stage.

The Kamito Malaysia Youth athlete finished 1st Runner-Up in U18 Singles at the PPA Asia 125 Malaysia Tomaz Cup, then followed it with a 2nd Runner-Up finish in U16 Doubles at the Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Bronze at the Pickleball World Cup

Ethan and doubles partner Brandon Basas won bronze in Boys U16 Doubles on 6 Sep, part of a 3-medal showing for Malaysia's junior squad at the World Cup, which drew more than 4,900 athletes from over 80 countries and territories to Da Nang.

The pair compete under the e23 Junior Pro Pickleball Team, coached by Gee Ci Long (@gee_pickleball), who also guides Malaysia's national squad.

"I felt very happy because this was the second international championship I participated in. In the previous championship, my performance was less satisfying, but this year I returned with better results," Ethan said, per national broadcaster RTM.

Ethan and Brandon's partnership isn't new. The two were already featured together as a 16U doubles duo from Kuala Lumpur in AFPickleball's "Why We Play" series at the Asia Pickleball Junior Open 2026 in Thailand, weeks before Da Nang.

Silver at the Tomaz Cup

Days before the World Cup, Ethan reached the U18 Singles final at the inaugural PPA Asia 125 Malaysia Tomaz Cup, held 27 to 31 Aug at Tomaz Pickleball Club in Subang Jaya, Selangor. The event carried a prize pool of RM100,000 and up across 25 amateur categories.

Kamito's Growing Youth Roster

Ethan joined Kamito Malaysia Youth in July, part of a roster that also includes APP Girls' Singles U15 champion Jaymie Ngow. Kamito is an Official Paddle Sponsor of the 2026 Heineken Pickleball World Cup, giving the brand a direct stake in how its own athletes perform on that stage.

Coach Gee said the squad, still new to international competition, is already ahead of where he expected. "We actually expected that only next year would we be able to achieve results like this because the team is still new," he said, adding the squad still needs more training against stronger regional opponents. Preparations are already underway for Asian and international championships next year.

This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361.