Shenzhen delivered. From December 3–7, the PCL Asia Season 2 Grand Finals gathered 28 club teams from Thailand, Indonesia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and across China for a high-tempo finish to the season. After round robins, single-elimination gauntlets, and a Grand Final that went all the way to a Dreambreaker, Team Zhuhai lifted the trophy and the thirty-thousand-dollar ($30,000) champion’s check.
The Builders Behind Asia’s Boom
The week doubled as a competitive climax and a regional summit. In attendance were Steve Kuhn (founder of Major League Pickleball, DUPR, and now PCL Asia), Shani Raviv (CEO and co-founder, SportsPredict), Jan Papi (founder and CEO, World Pickleball Championship Global), Michael Ma (co-founder, Ramsports), Alex Yuen (president, PCL Asia; co-founder, Ramsports), plus Toby Claudio and Migo Claudio of Toby’s Sports and PCL Philippines. Ramsports ambassadors and pros—including Rob Nunnery, Thomas Yu, Nicola Schoeman, Yu-chieh Hsieh, and creator-player Ahfatt (pickle.fatt)—added star wattage, capped by exhibition matches on Finals day.
Five Days in Shenzhen: A Quick Recap
Day 1 (December 3): Teams arrived, dialed in during practice, and gathered for a welcome dinner that set a friendly yet focused tone.
Day 2 (December 4): A Shenzhen city tour showcased the host’s energy and scale. Players and officials mixed with PCL Asia founder Steve Kuhn, SportsPredict’s Shani Raviv, WPC’s Jan Papi, and Tantan—community building before the pressure rose.
Days 3–4 (December 5–6): Round robins flowed into single-elimination play. A headline from the early rounds: Bali Pickleball Club stunned the Philippines’ Team SO Chill in a 3–2 Dreambreaker, reshaping the bracket.
Day 5 (December 7): Quarters, semis, exhibitions, then the title match—wall-to-wall action and no margin for error.
The Knockout Picture
Eight teams punched quarterfinal tickets—Pickleyard PH, Team Thakare (India), Team Mahi Kohi (Japan), Bali Pickleball Club, and four China teams including Shenyang and Zhuhai. From there, Shenyang ended Bali’s giant-killing run in one semifinal while Zhuhai edged Pickleyard PH in the other, setting an all-China final. The championship was the crescendo the event deserved: Zhuhai vs. Shenyang went the distance and was decided in a Dreambreaker, a fitting finale for a week built on depth, resilience, and clutch timing.





Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!