The Philippines is positioning itself as a rising destination for international pickleball after plans were unveiled to bring the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Asia circuit to the country for the first time.
The country is set to host the PPA Asia 125 tournament in December 2026, followed by the PPA Asia 500, also known as the Manila Open, in January 2027, as pickleball continues to gain popularity among Filipino athletes and enthusiasts.
The announcement came alongside the launch plans for a world-class pickleball facility at Bridgetowne in Pasig City, where Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation (KAVC) is preparing to build a venue capable of hosting major international competitions.
Former Philippine Sports Commission chairman and current KAVC head of operations Dickie Bachmann said the PPA 125 event at Helios Beta will provide Filipino players with an opportunity to gain valuable ranking points and eventually compete at higher levels of the sport.
The Helios Beta facility is scheduled for completion by October and will feature 14 courts, including a center court designed to accommodate up to 1,000 spectators.
The venue will host the PPA Asia 125 before becoming the stage for the PPA Asia 500 tournament the following January.
The PPA Asia 125 serves as an entry-level platform in the PPA Tour Asia structure, giving developing players the chance to collect ranking points and work their way toward the 500 (Open), 1000 (Cup), and 1500 (Slam) levels.
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35-time PPA doubles champion Collin Johns is in the Philippines to spearhead the launch Helios Pickleball Center, set to open 2028.
The world-class facility will feature 25 tournament-grade courts and a 2,000-seat championship center court. | via Maureen Muarip/One Sports pic.twitter.com/bjEYHf19yO
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) July 28, 2026
Beyond the initial tournaments, KAVC is also preparing a larger pickleball project with the planned opening of the Helios Pickleball Center in March 2028.
The facility is expected to feature 25 tournament-standard courts, highlighted by a championship center court with a 2,000-seat capacity.
The project is being developed in partnership with Johns Design and Consulting (JDC), founded by renowned pickleball players Ben and Collin Johns.
Collin Johns is well-known 35-time PPA doubles champion, he believes that the Philippines has the potential to become one of Asia’s major pickleball destinations.
“Pickleball is experiencing explosive growth globally, and the Philippines is poised to become a major hub for the sport in Asia. Our goal is to ensure facilities are built with precise technical standards—from court surfaces and lighting to player flow,” Johns said.
KAVC president Kim Lapus said the collaboration with JDC reflects the organization’s goal of creating international-standard facilities that can support both professional athletes and the growing local pickleball community.
Preparations for the upcoming events have also gained support from Philippine sports officials. In June, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick Gregorio met with Philippine Pickleball Federation president Shery Anne Cu, deputy secretary-general Atty. Roy Iba, Bachmann, Event Director Francisco Lapus, and Event and Partnership Lead Avvy Lapus to discuss plans for the country’s upcoming international hosting duties.
With the arrival of PPA Asia events, the Philippines aims to transform its growing pickleball interest into a stronger competitive scene while giving local players a chance to experience world-class competition on home soil.
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