Sarawak's Deputy Premier Picks Up a Kasaca ProMax Gen 4.0 and Opens the Freak Pickleball Championship
Andrew LeeSarawak's most senior leader just stepped onto a pickleball court. And the whole crowd counted him in.
The Freak Pickleball Championship officially launched on 26 June 2026 at STAR Pickleball in Kuching, with Sarawak Deputy Premier Dr. Sim Kui Hian delivering the opening serve. Flanked by MP Dr. Kelvin Yii, Delima Ibrahim, Dato Wong, and court owner Alex Ting, the launch set the tone for a three-day competition that signals something bigger is building in Kuching.
The Serve That Said It All
The opening serve was not ceremonial. Dr. Sim stepped up with a Kasaca ProMax Gen 4.0 paddle, presented by Ms. Joanne, Kasaca's Southeast Asia distributor.
It was a deliberate choice of equipment - Kasaca's flagship carbon fibre paddle in the hands of Sarawak's second-most senior official, in front of a live crowd. For Kasaca, this is exactly the kind of placement that matters.
The crowd counted down. He served. The room erupted.
A Vision for Sarawak Pickleball
In his speech, Dr. Sim laid out where he sees Sarawak heading. Community health. Sport as a social driver. Sarawak as a regional sports hub.
These are not new talking points from Malaysian officials - but hearing them at a pickleball launch, in Kuching, backed by real infrastructure at STAR Pickleball, gives them weight. The political support is showing up at court level.
Dr. Kelvin Yii, Delima Ibrahim, and Dato Wong rounded out the VIP contingent. Sarawak's pickleball community had the room it needed to make its case.
Freak Pickleball Club Runs It
Behind the launch was Smyth Wong Kai Li and Alan Teo of Freak Pickleball Club (@freakpickleball), the organising team that put the championship together.
Running a three-day tournament that pulls in government VIPs and international brand sponsorship takes serious coordination. Freak Pickleball Club delivered it.
Kasaca and STAR Pickleball Back the Field
The championship's sponsorship roster reflects the seriousness of the event. Kasaca Sports, one of the most active international paddle brands in the Malaysian pickleball market, came in as a major sponsor alongside STAR Pickleball, the Kuching facility run by Alex Ting.
Kasaca's ProMax Gen 4.0 appearance in the opening serve was not accidental. The brand has been building its presence across Malaysia, and Sarawak is clearly part of that plan.
The tournament runs until 28 June 2026, with a competitive pool of local talent on the courts for three full days.
The Momentum in Sarawak Is Real
Kuching already hosted the Bandar Kuching Pickleball Championship earlier this year. The Freak Pickleball Championship puts a second major event on the calendar for 2026, with government backing and international brand involvement at launch.
Sarawak is not catching up to the peninsula anymore. It is building its own pickleball identity - with its own courts, its own clubs, and now its own championship calendar.
Watch @freakpickleball and @starpickleballmalaysia for results and highlights across the three days.
