In its pursuit of establishing a stronger presence in Asia, the United Pickleball Association (UPA) - the governing body formed by the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) - has taken a bold step to bring the PPA Tour Asia to the Philippines. To this end, the UPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation to develop a state-of-the-art pickleball facility in the capital city of Manila. Under this MoU, the Philippines will begin hosting events starting in 2027.

The MoU, as reported by Pickleball.com, was signed between the two entities alongside the groundbreaking ceremony for Helios Pickleball, a facility that will feature 25 professional-grade pickleball courts, including a stadium court built to international standards. Spanning 17,500 square metres, the venue will be equipped with modern amenities such as a gym, sports clinic, dining options, and two levels of basement parking - positioning it as the premier pickleball destination in the country.

Kimberly Koh, the woman spearheading UPA's expansion in Asia and the Managing Director of UPA Asia, emphasised that the Philippines project is a vital part of their broader ambition to make pickleball a truly global sport. “In the years to come, we will look back on this day as the day when everything started - not just in the Philippines, but the revolution of pickleball in Southeast Asia, in Asia, and the globalization of the sport,” said Koh.

Kim Lapus, President of Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation, said, “It’s very significant because it cements the bond between PPA and the tour with Helios. We are very excited that we have the support of PPA, and we are very excited when that facility is done—we can hold tournaments here in Asia, and we could invite international players to a purpose-built facility that is one of a kind."

The venue has been designed to host major international tournaments, including a future top-tier PPA Tour Asia event in Manila, with Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation acting as the event promoter. Koh is determined to place Manila firmly on the pickleball map in Asia.

“We would love to have a tournament here as soon as the facility is ready, and I understand it is slated to be ready in 2027. That will be our goal—to bring a major tournament from the PPA to Manila,” added Koh. “In the lead-up to that, and also engaging with the PPF (Philippine Pickleball Federation) as well as all the clubs, we would love to continue to build on that activation as we lead up to a major tournament here in Manila so that everyone is excited when we finally do a tournament here.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was also attended by Tom Nguyen, CEO of Asia Pacific for JOOLA, and Ramos Rivero, Chief Strategist and Head of Sustainability at Robinsons Land Corporation.

In May this year, UPA announced five tour events in Asia, the first of which - the Malaysia Open - took place from July 3 to 6. The remaining events on the 2025 Tour calendar are: the Hong Kong Open (August 19–24), Sansan Fukuoka Open (August 26–31), China Slam (October 1–5), and Kuala Lumpur Cup (October 9–12). While unveiling the inaugural Asia Tour, UPA had also expressed its intent to expand the league to other Asian countries. The Philippines is now firmly on the radar as a potential future Tour host.