New Malaysian pickleball chief targets MPA revival with anti-doping, school development plans

KUALA LUMPUR: The newly elected leadership of the Malaysia Pickleball Association (MPA) is moving swiftly to professionalise the sport, with plans to establish an anti-doping committee, introduce an events calendar and implement a national ranking system.

Datuk Patrick Khoo Khiam Ping, who was elected president at the national body’s extraordinary general meeting-cum-election on Oct 3, said he had been informed that the Youth and Sports Minister had signed a letter lifting the association’s suspension.

MPA’s suspension followed a governance dispute triggered by the resignation of founding president Farrell Choo, who handed over leadership to the association’s treasurer, Delima Ibrahim. She assumed the role of acting president on July 1, 2025.

However, the association’s constitution stipulates that the deputy president should assume the presidency in the event of a vacancy. This prompted then-deputy president Harmeet Singh to lodge a complaint with the Sports Commissioner’s Office, resulting in MPA’s suspension on Feb 27.

Prominent lawyer and sports administrator Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos, who chaired the ad hoc committee overseeing MPA, told Twentytwo13 that he had submitted a recommendation to lift the suspension late last month, following the election of the new office bearers.

“A ministry official informed me (yesterday) that the minister has signed the letter lifting the suspension. It is now with the Sports Commissioner,” Khoo told Twentytwo13.

“In the meantime, I have been working closely with the other elected members and state affiliates to lay the groundwork for next year’s plans.

“We have had several informal meetings. Once the suspension is lifted, we can hold an official meeting to iron out the details.”

One of the new administration’s priorities is to establish an anti-doping committee, which Khoo believes will bring the sport closer to meeting the requirements for affiliation with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

OCM requires affiliated national sports associations to ensure their internal anti-doping policies and rules comply with the World Anti-Doping Code.

“We also need to get the takwim (calendar) sorted out by next month as we look ahead to 2027. The priority is to roll out development programmes in schools nationwide,” said Khoo.

“The next step is to streamline the national ranking process when we send our players to international tournaments.”

Khoo also hopes to have pickleball included as a demonstration sport at next year’s SEA Games in Malaysia.

“Sadly, our suspension curtailed plans for pickleball to be selected as a medal sport. Nonetheless, we will write to Masoc (Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee), the ministry and other relevant authorities to see if we can have it included as a demonstration sport,” he said.

“I have been speaking to some corporate bodies to explore how we can make this happen, as we will have to foot the bill. But it would be a good step forward, as Singapore will host the 2029 SEA Games and the sport is huge over there.”