Davao’s Young Picklers Find Their Lane as PCL Asia Rising Stars Builds a Bigger Pathway

Photo Credits to: PCL Asia (https://pickleballchampionsleague.org/news/davao-s-rising-stars-how-pcl-asia-is-charting-a-new-global-pathway-for-youth-pickleball)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — For five days, the energy at Pickletown felt bigger than a standard tournament. The PCL Asia Rising Stars U19 Sectional Tournament (https://www.pickle.asia/blogs/pcl-asia-rising-stars-ph-sectionals), staged as a marquee event of Kosmas Pickle Fest 2026, turned the venue into a showcase for where youth pickleball may be heading next.

The noise on court mattered, of course — the rallies, the sharp exchanges at the kitchen, the scramble for tight points. But so did everything around it: the cheers from the crowd, the smiles between matches, the easy camaraderie that made the event feel as much like a community gathering as a competition.

That balance stood out.

Because this was not youth sport stripped down to pressure alone. It was young athletes competing hard while still looking unmistakably like kids enjoying the game.

Where Development Starts to Look Real

The Rising Stars program is built around a simple idea: young players need a clearer route forward.

For many youth athletes, opportunities to compete in a more structured environment remain limited. By bringing the sectional to Davao, PCL Asia created a setting where local players could test themselves in a more formal tournament atmosphere without needing to leave home.

And that matters.

A pathway only works if athletes can actually enter it. Hosting events on local ground lowers the barrier and gives emerging players a chance to be seen, develop, and grow within a system that feels reachable.

Photo Credits to: PCL Asia (https://pickleballchampionsleague.org/news/davao-s-rising-stars-how-pcl-asia-is-charting-a-new-global-pathway-for-youth-pickleball)

A Format That Pushes More Than Individual Talent

The tournament used a mixed-team structure, with each squad made up of two boys and two girls. The setup did more than produce winners. It also put teamwork, communication, and shared responsibility at the center of the competition.