Q1) Can you tell us about your venue and what makes it unique in SG's Pickleball landscape??
The Sports Arina @ Expo was the first iteration of our Pickleball hall and it was well received. After a short pause mid-year last year, we came back even bigger, even better, with better mats and I think everybody just loved playing in the air-conditioning.
We know SG is hot; we know that the weather can be unpredictable. To have a venue that caters to many people and to have confirmed play was a big check in the box for the community and we just loved that the community came out in full force.
What makes it truly unique, though, is the fact that we have a venue that is welcoming to a lot of people and has great quality pro courts, of which we will be expanding as well when we come back after this current break. Taking that momentum and starting the Sports Arina @ Jalan Kayu means that we will deliver even better-quality courts, again air-conditioned, to serve the community and the various groups that love the sport so much.
Q2) How do you engage with the local community and promote the sport?
On the ground we try to engage the local Pickleball community through social play, through ensuring our coaching partners like That Pickleball Academy can run consistent sessions with us. We host regular events organized by the community for the community and we're very welcoming of that as well. We have had several requests for corporate events, for big competitions and tournaments as well. Whether it’s the PickleX tournament or the iFast tournament, there is a huge demand.
Q1) Can you tell us about your venue and what makes it unique in SG's Pickleball landscape??
The Sports Arina @ Expo was the first iteration of our Pickleball hall and it was well received. After a short pause mid-year last year, we came back even bigger, even better, with better mats and I think everybody just loved playing in the air-conditioning.
We know SG is hot; we know that the weather can be unpredictable. To have a venue that caters to many people and to have confirmed play was a big check in the box for the community and we just loved that the community came out in full force.
What makes it truly unique, though, is the fact that we have a venue that is welcoming to a lot of people and has great quality pro courts, of which we will be expanding as well when we come back after this current break. Taking that momentum and starting the Sports Arina @ Jalan Kayu means that we will deliver even better-quality courts, again air-conditioned, to serve the community and the various groups that love the sport so much.
Q2) How do you engage with the local community and promote the sport?
On the ground we try to engage the local Pickleball community through social play, through ensuring our coaching partners like That Pickleball Academy can run consistent sessions with us. We host regular events organized by the community for the community and we're very welcoming of that as well. We have had several requests for corporate events, for big competitions and tournaments as well. Whether it’s the PickleX tournament or the iFast tournament, there is a huge demand.
Moving forward we want to make sure that we are still serving this event-based community but not at the expense of our regulars in the smaller community groups. We recognize that this sport and our venue would just be a passing phase if we didn't take the time to appreciate the regulars and the people that come in and join us and support us week in, week out.
We are looking forward to hosting some major tournaments in the coming months so stay tuned.
From L-R: Zachary, Ashton, Sue, Justin, Kelly, Sham, Ihsan & Poonam
Q3) What trends are you noticing in the evolving SG Pickleball scene, and how is your venue adapting?
Wow! I think there is definitely an uptick in the younger generation coming through and playing the sport. We're seeing a lot more small communities banding together, the demand for competitions is high, and one of the things that we're looking to do is see how we can try to support a national agenda for Pickleball as well. I would love to see players getting to a higher level so that we can be representing Singapore on the international stage. I think we have great potential for that, but a lot of infrastructure needs to go into supporting that as well.
There is also a large demand for more community activation, individual groups for very specialized niches. A lot of women's groups, groups for the elderly, people looking for more children's classes or social play for their children as well. That's something that we're trying to help orchestrate as we move along and we continue to grow.
Q4) What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced operating your venue? What are your future plans?
Well, I suppose every time the Expo has had an event, we've had to tear down and set back up again. You could say that is a challenge, but I also see it as a great way for us to revise our layouts and keep changing to meet the demands of the Pickleball community, which is a rare opportunity to have. We're very blessed to be able to do that and to be able to continue serving the community.
As you know, future plans, we've got Jalan Kayu, which will be opening very soon. That's exciting because that is Singapore's first indoor air-conditioned purpose-built Pickleball hall with ten courts and Mapei flooring. It's going to be remarkable and I'm very excited for the community to play on it. We have other venues in the pipeline as well that we're looking to announce in due course. To be honest I think there is so much potential for growth as long as the community keeps showing up for pickleball. Whilst the demand is there, we're here to support it.
Q5) Is there another Pickleball venue in SG you like playing away from your own?
Ah this feels like a trick question. To be honest I don't often play Pickleball in other venues because the time I actually get to play is very scarce as it is. If I can sneak in a quick game on our courts, that already makes me very happy. I'm just looking forward to testing our courts at Jalan Kayu and I honestly can't wait for you guys to try them too.
Q6) As a prominent influencer and advocate for women's issues, how do you leverage your platform to promote women's participation in Pickleball? Are there specific initiatives you've implemented at your venue?
I have been a big supporter of women’s fitness for many years and I think I was there when lots of people started getting into the fitness space on Instagram and starting to post their workouts. Living active lifestyles is something that I want to encourage all women to do and that is exactly why we hold women’s events, why we try to have women-only sessions as well. You can look forward to this across all our venues as we grow.
I think whenever I’ve had the opportunity to speak up, whether it’s at talks, at events, online, or whether it’s on TV when I’m covering national sporting events, any opportunity I get, I always advocate for women to get out there and lead active healthy lives. If Pickleball is helping you achieve that, I’m all for it and am here to support it.
Q7) How do you balance the business aspects of running a venue with your passion for sports and community advocacy? What message do you hope to communicate through your venue?
If I'm totally honest sometimes, I struggle with that balance. There is a huge part of me that wants to not run the business and just be able to play Padel and Pickleball and not have to worry about the day-to-days because when I do get caught up in the day-to-days, that's when my personal time suffers.
I think the one thing that I would like to be able to communicate through running these venues is that, whilst you may come for the air conditioning, I want you to stay for the community.
Hopefully The Sports Arina provides you a home where you will always feel welcome. Even when life gets too busy or when you have to take a step back from the things that you love and the sports that you love for a little while, you know that you can always return and you will always be welcomed back as part of the community.
I know that when I've had to take a step back from playing, this sport has been there for me to come back to every single time and the community has never failed me to date. That is the beauty of both Padel and Pickleball and quite honestly sport in general.
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