Malaysia's Next Generation Takes on Asia at the Junior Pickleball Open
Andrew LeeNearly 1,100 entries. Fifteen countries. Sixteen categories. The Asia Pickleball Junior Open 2026 tips off this week at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, and a handful of Malaysian juniors are making the trip to compete on one of the region's biggest stages.
Organized by the Asia Federation of Pickleball, the tournament runs from 28 to 30 July across 35 courts, split between 11 sheltered and 24 outdoor.
Malaysia's Junior Delegation
Irfan Kamil represents The Kitch'n Club Junior Academy in Kota Damansara, the club confirmed on Instagram, calling it a proud milestone for the program.
The e23 junior pickleball team, coached by Gee Ci Long, made the same trip. Eleven players compete across the Under-12 to Under-18 categories, with several deliberately entered a division up from their own age group, a push to test themselves against tougher competition.
A Tournament Built to Push Players Up, Not Just In
AFP's registration structure carries its own signal about what this event is for. A third and fourth event entry per player is complimentary, a deliberate incentive for junior athletes to challenge themselves in higher age divisions rather than stay in one comfortable bracket.
How to Follow It From Home
Baseline is livestreaming featured matches and running live scores, draws, and court assignments through its app, so parents and fans following from Malaysia can track every round in real time rather than waiting for results to trickle in.
Building What Comes Next
AFP follows this event with the Asia University Championship on 3 August, extending the same development pipeline from junior courts through to university level. It's exactly the kind of stage Pickle361 has argued the region needs as it shapes pickleball's future together.
