Malaysia has been confirmed as the permanent home of the Association of Pickleball Players' new Asia headquarters (APP HQ). The Leapmotor APP Penang Open 2026 is set to mark the first major milestone of that commitment.
The tournament runs from July 22 to 26 at Pickle By The Sea @ Penang Gurney Drive. This brings together world-class competition, premium hospitality, interactive fan zones and community activities for players and spectators of all levels.
In an article from Bernama, APP said the Penang event will serve as a major mid-year anchor for the newly launched APP Asia Tour. Following Penang, the tour continues through China, Chinese Taipei, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and India for the remainder of 2026.
Title sponsor Leapmotor, one of China's fastest-growing new energy vehicle brands and a strategic electric vehicle partner of Stellantis, will showcase its all-electric Leapmotor B10 at the tournament. It goes in line with the event's focus on innovation, active lifestyle, and sustainability. CelcomDigi also continues to back the event as a corporate partner.
Building on Malaysia's First-Mover Status
Penang's designation as APP's permanent Asia HQ follows a string of firsts for Malaysia on the professional pickleball calendar. The country hosted APP's first official tournament in Asia at the Kuala Lumpur Open 2026, held from February 9 to 14 at PLAYA Racquet Club, PARC Subang, carrying a prize purse of USD 50,000. Malaysia had already broken ground in 2025 and 2026 for the PPA Tour Asia Panas Cup.
In an earlier interview, the organising chairman of the APP Kuala Lumpur Open and executive director of Rallyworld International, Marc Chua, said he felt the Malaysian market was ready to host a major international professional tour such as the APP. Through direct engagement with APP in the United States, Chua said organisers secured Malaysia as the tour's first Asian stop, adding that the APP would be heading to Japan within weeks of the Malaysian leg.
Chua noted that the Penang leg will bring a different group of professional players into the mix, since American and Asian pros rarely cross paths on tour. As he put it:
"What we are trying to do is create a platform that brings together the best from the East and the West."
A Long-Term Bet on Malaysia's Pickleball Boom
With Malaysia now locked in as APP's permanent Asian base, the country is positioned to anchor the tour's growth across Southeast Asia and beyond for years to come. For players and fans in Penang and across Malaysia, that means more frequent access to top-tier professional pickleball, bigger sponsorship activations and continued momentum for the sport's grassroots scene.
Looking to catch the action or find a court to train on before the next big tournament comes to town? Browse verified courts near you at courts.thepicklebase.com, and follow @thepicklebase on Instagram for daily updates from Malaysia's pickleball scene.