MIRI: With six schools and 78 young players in action, the Miri Division Closed Pickleball U-19 Tournament 2025 underscored the sport’s rising popularity and the success of local efforts to nurture talent from the grassroots.
The tournament, held from April 26 to 27 at the Paragon Pickleball Centre, brought together athletes from St Joseph, St Columba, SMK Chung Hua, Pei Min, Riam Road Secondary School, and SM Sains.
Making their tournament debut, SM Sains and Riam Road Secondary School added an exciting new dynamic to the competition.
Organised by the Miri Division Pickleball Association, the event marked the third consecutive year of its successful staging, reflecting the association’s sustained commitment to developing junior pickleball talent in Sarawak.
In an impressive showcase of skills, several young athletes emerged as multiple-title winners.
Shaquille Safaraz dominated the U16 and U19 Boys categories, winning the U16 Boys Singles, U16 Boys Doubles with Izz Ghazi Mohd Faridz, and U19 Boys Doubles with Eyshan Rizqi Mohammed Faridz.
Not to be outdone, Kirshelya Rhsme Prabakaran secured victories in the U19 Girls Singles and partnered with Dalzshervyn Roshen Prabakaran to clinch the U19 Mixed Doubles.
Dalzshervyn also added the U19 Boys Singles title to his tally.
Other champions included Aisha Dalia Ahmad Saili Fitri in the U16 Girls Singles, Norman Wong and Kwong Jia Yu in the U16 Mixed Doubles, and Sonia Ho and Wong Yiirou in the U19 Girls Doubles.
“Organisers applauded the high level of performance, discipline and enthusiasm shown by the players.
“The tournament served not only as a platform to nurture emerging talents but also reinforced Miri’s standing as the birthplace and growing hub of pickleball in Malaysia,” the organisers said in a recent statement.
With the sport’s popularity soaring among youth, the Miri Division tournament marks another successful milestone in the efforts to develop pickleball at the grassroots level across Sarawak.
