Pickleball is experiencing rapid growth across Asia, gaining popularity in countries including China, Japan and Thailand.
Invented in the 1960s by American businessman and politician Joel Pritchard, who went on to become the lieutenant governor of the US state of Washington, pickleball is at once tennis and ping pong, and everything in between.
The name of the game has more to do with the โpickle boatโ in the sport of rowing, reflecting its patrician origins, rather than with processed cabbages and cucumbers.
In Malaysia, many purpose-built pickleball recreational centres have sprung up, with attached restaurants, cafes and shops, reflecting the social aspect of the sport.
An entire industry, involving venues, coaches, equipment and apparel, has grown within the last year or so, buoyed by the increasing popularity of the sport. It is even making inroads in schools.