Team Malaysia Fills Out Its World Cup Leadership Team
Andrew LeeTeam Malaysia has now assembled its full leadership team ahead of the Heineken Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam, running 30 Aug to 6 Sept, from the coaching staff on court to the man who put the whole delegation together.
The Man Behind the Assembly
Ibrahim Gul (@ibrahimgul49), founder of OnCourt Malaysia, is credited as Director of Pickleball Team Malaysia, the driving force behind bringing the delegation together in the first place. Team Malaysia's own announcement points to the work behind the scenes, putting the team together and lining up the sponsors and partners needed to get a national squad to a global tournament, as the reason he's being introduced separately from the coaching staff.
On-Court Leadership
Azizul Azhar (@azizulboom) leads the coaching group as head coach, standing alongside the players through preparation, strategy and the pressure of the tournament itself. Guiding the junior squad separately is Gee Ci Long (@gee_pickleball), named as the team's dedicated Junior Coach, tasked with building the young players' confidence and mindset before they step onto the world stage.
The Team Behind the Team
Running the operation day to day is Mohd Faizal (@faizalomi_pb), named Team Manager, with Jin Tan (@jin.tan) and Ken Lim (@kensurecan) serving alongside him as Assistant Team Managers. Between them, the three are responsible for keeping the squad coordinated and focused as the campaign moves from preparation into competition.
The structure reflects what a national delegation actually needs at an event of this scale: someone to build and fund the delegation in the first place, coaching for both the senior and junior sides, and a management layer dedicated purely to logistics and team cohesion, freeing the coaching staff to focus on performance.
The World Cup itself is a genuinely global event, part of pickleball's push toward Olympic inclusion. Organizers have said the 2026 edition is targeting participation from roughly 80 nations, up from 33 at the 2024 edition, making Team Malaysia's own preparation part of a fast-growing field rather than a small gathering.
This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361.
