Franklin Sports is bringing world-class pickleball to Southeast Asia with its Franklin Asia Showcase 2: a three-city tour spanning Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (April 7), Penang, Malaysia (April 9), and Johor Bahru, Malaysia (April 11).
With a lineup that includes the world's No. 1-ranked player and a mix of international and local stars, the showcase brings the highest level of the sport directly to fans. The event series reflects Franklin's broader ambition to drive global growth of the sport.
The Stars Taking the Court
The Franklin Asia Showcase 2 brings together a lineup that would be at home at any PPA Tour event in the United States.
Anna-Leigh Waters 🇺🇸 (Vietnam leg)
Ranked No. 1 in the world in women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles by the PPA, Waters has won 181 gold medals and 39 triple crowns (the most in the history of the sport).
She is regarded as the most dominant athlete pickleball has ever seen. At just 18 years old, she signed with Franklin in January 2026 in what was described as the biggest equipment deal in pickleball history. She plays at the Vietnam leg alongside her mother, Leigh Waters.
Leigh Waters 🇺🇸 (Vietnam leg)
Anna-Leigh's mother, coach, and doubles partner. A former NCAA Division I tennis player at the University of South Carolina, Leigh and Anna-Leigh are the only mother-daughter team in professional pickleball. Together, they have won more titles than arguably any doubles pairing in the sport's history.
Hayden Patriquin 🇺🇸 (All locations)
Originally from Yucaipa, California, Patriquin was introduced to pickleball at age 13 by his grandfather. One of the few players on the professional tour with no prior racquet-sport experience, he left baseball behind to pursue pickleball full-time. Known for his flashy, aggressive style and magnetic court presence, he is among the most-watched young players in the game and one of Franklin's most recognisable pros.
Will Howells 🇬🇧 (All locations)
Howells made his PPA Tour debut at The Masters in January 2026 after dominating the APP Tour, where he won virtually everything in his final season. Sponsored by Franklin, the British pro is described by analysts as a top-10 talent in the world and one of the most exciting new faces in the professional game.
Jimmy Liong 🇲🇾 (All locations)
Malaysia's own. Jimmy Liong became the first Malaysian to win the 2024 World Pickleball Championship, defeating the Philippines' Davis Alano in the men's singles over-19 final. He is Franklin's first major professional athlete signing in Asia — a bridge between international stardom and hometown pride. Beyond competition, he is known for his active role in growing pickleball at the grassroots level in Malaysia, running his own sports academy and retail stores.
Event Highlights
Each showcase is engineered to deliver a full evening of world-class action and fan engagement.
- Exhibition Matches: A full evening of pro showcase matches, including mixed doubles, men's doubles (USA vs Malaysia), and men's singles, featuring fast rallies, international showdowns, and highlight plays.
- VIP Meet & Greet: An exclusive, limited-access session for VIP and Paddle Pack ticket holders, held before the main event. Meet Franklin's star players in a private setting with photo and autograph opportunities.
- Fan Activations: Step onto the court for mini games and skill challenges, with exclusive Franklin prizes, giveaways, and lucky draws — including a Hayden Patriquin signed paddle.
- Clinic With the Pros: A separate Pro Pickleball Clinic in Penang and Johor Bahru with Hayden Patriquin, Will Howells, and Jimmy Liong. Limited to 24 participants only. Covers advanced shot techniques, match strategies, doubles communication, and court positioning.
Event Schedule (Johor Bahru · April 11)
- 5:00 PM Registration opens
- 5:30 PM VIP Meet & Greet (Paddle Pack & VIP Package holders)
- 7:30 PM Players Entrance
- 7:45 PM Match 1 — Mixed Doubles
- 8:00 PM Match 2 — Men's Doubles: USA vs Malaysia
- 8:15 PM Audience Engagement Segment
- 8:30 PM Match 3 — KOL Match
- 8:45 PM Match 4 — Men's Doubles
- 9:00 PM Audience Engagement Segment
- 9:15 PM Match 5 — Men's Singles
- 9:30 PM Audience Engagement Segment
- 9:45 PM Hayden Patriquin & ALW Lucky Draw
A similar schedule applies across all three showcase locations.
A Family Legacy Behind the Brand
To understand why Franklin's expansion into Asia matters, you have to understand where the company came from. Franklin Sports was founded in 1946 in Brockton, Massachusetts, by brothers Irving H. Franklin and Sydney Franklin. Using discarded scrap leather from local shoe factories, they set out to build affordable, quality sporting equipment for everyday athletes that "Sports Make Life Better".
Irving Franklin's entrepreneurial instincts helped define what the brand became. In the 1980s, he noticed baseball players wearing golf gloves to prevent blisters and improve their grip. He traveled to spring training in Clearwater, Florida, and enlisted Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to help design what became the Franklin Pro Classic (the first-ever baseball batting glove). That glove became the official batting glove of Major League Baseball, a distinction Franklin holds to this day.
Now in its third generation of family leadership, the company has committed fully to the pickleball movement. Adam Franklin, CEO and Irving's grandson, leads the company, and Jared Franklin, Head of International and Special Markets, is the man building the sport's global footprint. Jared has described growing pickleball globally as a personal passion, and nowhere is that more visible right now than in Southeast Asia.
In January 2026, Franklin signed world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters to a long-term, multi-year partnership estimated by industry insiders to be worth upwards of $10 million (the largest equipment deal ever in the sport). Franklin's pro roster now reads like a who's-who of professional pickleball.
"What is happening with pickleball is once in a lifetime — it is not often that a new sport emerges and has retail viability and mass appeal." — Adam Franklin, President & CEO, Franklin Sports
Why It Matters for Pickleball in Asia
Jimmy Liong's signing as Franklin's first major professional athlete in Asia, and the continued investment in Malaysia's pickleball ecosystem, strengthen Malaysia's position as one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing pickleball markets. Franklin already has a Franklin Sports Asia office and a network of vendors and retail partners across dozens of countries. Events like this one deepen community roots, inspire new players, and create the kind of grassroots momentum that turns a growing sport into a cultural institution.
Franklin's pro roster now includes Anna Leigh Waters, Hayden Patriquin, Parris Todd, Megan Fudge, and Will Howells — a who's-who of elite talent that signals the brand's serious commitment to dominating the professional equipment space. Bringing that roster to Southeast Asia sends a message to fans and competitors alike: this region is not a footnote in pickleball's global story. It is a chapter.
"I've seen firsthand how Franklin is helping build the community here, and I'm excited to represent a brand that believes in the potential of Malaysian players." — Jimmy Liong, Malaysia No. 1
For a family-owned company now in its third generation of leadership, the Franklin Asia Showcase 2 represents something deeply in character: the belief that sports, any sport, can be grown from the ground up with the right relationships, the right athletes, and a genuine passion for the game.
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