Selkirk Academy Draws 63 Players: PCI Level 1 Certifies 21 Coaches

Malaysia just hosted the Asia premiere of one of pickleball's most respected training programs. And the numbers show the sport here is ready for exactly this.

Selkirk Academy touched down in Kuala Lumpur from 3 to 24 June 2026 for three weeks of structured, performance-focused coaching. It was the brand's first-ever Academy camp in Asia - and it sold out.

Three Camps. One Clear Message.

The program ran three specialised tracks: Power, Precision, and Competition.

Each was designed for a different player objective - whether you were looking to add pace and depth to your drives, tighten your dink game, or sharpen your performance under match pressure. Participants could choose the camp that matched where they were in their pickleball journey.

63 players signed up across the three camps. With a 98% fill rate, slots went fast.

21 New Certified Coaches for Malaysia

Alongside the player camps, Selkirk also ran the Pickleball Coaching International (PCI) Level 1 Certification.

21 coaches completed the programme - adding a cohort of professionally certified instructors to the Malaysian pickleball ecosystem. PCI is endorsed by USA Pickleball as an official coaching education partner, and its Level 1 certification is recognised as the global standard in structured coach education.

For a country where the sport is growing faster than its coaching infrastructure can keep up, that number matters.

The Coach Behind the Curriculum

Mark Renneson led the camps. As the founder of Pickleball Coaching International and president of PCI since Selkirk's acquisition, he brings a coaching philosophy built on deliberate skill development, not just repetition.

His read on what he saw in KL was direct.

"Pickleball is exploding here. There's so much growth, enthusiasm and energy around the sport in Malaysia and across Asia - and the opportunities right now are virtually unlimited."

On the players themselves: "The Malaysian players have been incredibly warm, generous, enthusiastic and willing to learn."

Players from Across the Region Came to KL

The camp drew participants well beyond Malaysia's borders. Players and coaches travelled from Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Cambodia, and Brunei to be part of the inaugural Asia edition.

That kind of regional pull - for a first-ever camp, in a new market - says something about where KL sits in the Asia pickleball conversation right now.

61 Selkirk Sport Pro Line Tour Bags were gifted to participants across the programme.

What Participants Said

"Sparring sessions with live coaching and real-time feedback. The coaches were friendly, approachable and supportive - and the video analysis was a genuinely new and valuable learning experience." - Power Pickleball Camp participant.

"I think the experience has been quite insightful and practical, with a lot of takeaways that we can use in our competitive games." - Competition Pickleball Camp participant.

Video analysis. Live coaching feedback. Competition-specific game strategy. These are things Malaysian players have not had consistent access to - until now.

What Comes Next

Selkirk is not treating this as a one-off. The plan is a regular cadence of at least three Academy sessions per month, including PCI certification runs.

After September, the programme expands beyond KL to Penang and Johor. Two of Malaysia's most active pickleball communities get their turn.

The Asia debut confirmed demand. The expansion plan turns it into something more permanent. For Malaysian players who have been waiting for this level of structured coaching to arrive, the wait is over.