Three Malaysian Olympic Legends Set to Face Anna Leigh Waters in KL

Three of Malaysia's own Olympians are stepping onto a pickleball court this October, and the person waiting on the other side of the net is the world No. 1.

Franklin Pickleball Malaysia has confirmed Dato' Mirnawan Nawawi, a three-time field hockey Olympian and Malaysia's flag bearer at the 2000 Sydney Games, alongside badminton's Goh Liu Ying and Chan Peng Soon, 2016 Rio Olympic silver medallists in mixed doubles, will face Anna Leigh Waters in an exhibition match on 17 Oct at 91 Pickleball Clubhouse, Hextar Empire City.

It is actually the second of two Franklin events built around Waters' visit. A day earlier, on 16 Oct, a much smaller group gets to play with and against her directly at a Guided Social Open Play session at Pickle Depot, Sentul. Waters is Franklin's own sponsored athlete, currently ranked world No. 1 across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at once, and Kuala Lumpur is one stop on a four-country Franklin tour through Asia this October that also runs through Manila, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.

Three Legends, One Pickleball Court

Nawawi captained Malaysia's national hockey team from 1998 to 2002 and played at three Olympics: Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, and Sydney 2000, where he served as Malaysia's flag bearer. Goh and Chan spent 13 years as a badminton pair before parting ways in 2021, and the silver they won together in Rio, Malaysia's first Olympic medal in mixed doubles badminton, is what they are still known for.

None of them is new to pickleball. Nawawi took up the sport in 2023 and now owns Pickleball Playground in Shah Alam, playing four or five times a week. Chan retired from badminton, picked up pickleball for fun, and went on to found 91 Pickleball Club, the chain behind both the Giant USJ venue he opened in December 2024 and, now, the Hextar Empire City clubhouse hosting this exhibition. Goh has played the sport socially since her own retirement in 2023. Franklin's own posts call it "Three CHAMPIONS. Three incredible sporting journeys. One EPIC pickleball showdown." It is also three established figures in Malaysia's own pickleball scene, one of them the founder of the host venue's own chain, sharing a court with the sport's world No. 1.

The 17 Oct night runs 6pm to 10pm, with doors from 4:30pm, and covers more than the exhibition itself: a meet and greet with the Franklin Pro Team, and the first public look at an unreleased Franklin paddle the brand has kept under wraps through its own teaser posts.

Tickets run from RM88 for standing access with three official X-40 balls, up to RM1,999 for a Super VIP Fan Pack that bundles a pre-release Franklin paddle, a Pro Series bag, event merchandise, a VIP lounge, and a photo with Waters. A separate VIP Pack at RM1,299 and Super Fan Pack at RM1,599 also include a meet and greet and photo opportunity. Early bird pricing closed on 20 Sep, so these are the standard rates now in effect. Everything is sold through The Pickle Parlour.

A Night at Pickle Depot

The 16 Oct session is the more intimate of the two, capped at 36 spots. Package 1, at RM1,058, includes dinner at Pickle Depot's Unwind, a two-hour guided open play block, a guaranteed game with or against Waters under Rally 11 scoring, court time with the Franklin Malaysia Pro Team, and a post-session photo and autograph. Package 2, at RM1,588, adds a 30-minute closed coaching session with Waters, a Franklin Next-Gen paddle, Franklin performance wear, and a VIP ticket into the following night's showcase.

The evening runs on a set schedule: check-in and court warm-up from 6pm, dinner at 6:30pm, private coaching for Package 2 holders from 7:15pm, a participant briefing at 7:45pm, then two hours of rotating social play with Waters and the Pro Team from 8pm, closing with photos and autographs at 10pm. Players are grouped in threes, and Franklin paddles are required on court, though loaners are available for anyone without one.

Both listings sit on the same The Pickle Parlour ticket page, priced from RM1,058 for the Guided Social Open Play and from RM88 for the 17 Oct showcase, matching what is on Franklin's own posts.

Getting In

Kuala Lumpur follows a Franklin stop in Manila in mid October, ahead of further dates in Hong Kong and Vietnam the same month. For Malaysian fans, the near-term choice is straightforward: a shot at actually playing with Waters on 16 Oct at Pickle Depot, or a seat, standing spot, or VIP package to watch her face three of the country's own Olympic names on 17 Oct at 91 Pickleball Clubhouse. Both go through The Pickle Parlour, and Franklin's own account is the place to watch for the paddle it still has not shown.

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