GRAZIA Pickleball Tournament: Season One Was Off to a Success

A well-played Sunday.

It was a fine Sunday at Pickle Park—temperatures were high, and so was the competitive spirit of players waiting for their turn at the GRAZIA Pickleball Tournament. It wasn’t just the players who were buzzing with excitement—their friends and family were also present to lend their full support. Here’s what went down at the very first instalment of our GRAZIA Pickleball Tournament.

Served in partnership with Lacoste, this pickleball tournament is set to be the first of a series to happen in the coming months. Pickle Park in Petaling Jaya played host to our tournament with their well-designed courts, and Lacoste set the vibe with their “locker room” display featuring some of the latest pieces from their collection, from the iconic L.12.12 polo T-shirt to the Lenglen bag, gorgeous pickleball-ready fits, and more. Feeling the heat? Lacoste had that covered too, with an ice cream cart filled with refreshing fruity flavours and deck chairs under umbrellas for that extra vibe hit.

But of course, what’s a pickleball tournament without its players? Organised by Sheng Boon, we saw a myriad of players paired up anonymously, ranging from seasoned tournament participants like Kai Zen Au to first-time tournament players like Bobo Stephanie joining in the fun. With an all-white dress code, we also saw some players, including Fad Anuar, Hunny Madu, Jenn Chia, Jon Liddell, Weena Marcus, Yvonne Lee, Atita Haris, Ziha Salleh, Linus Teng, and Shalma Aina decked in Lacoste gear—a testament to the founder’s grit on the tennis court.

While players were squaring off in round one, those not playing weren’t left out during the tournament, as we had many other activities happening at the same time. Guests could fuel up on snacks provided by Flour, Fire & Stone—the adjoining cafe at Pickle Park. Over at the OPPO booth, the Chinese smartphone brand had on display their latest flagship model, the Find N5 foldable smartphone. Fitness enthusiasts could also try their hand at some strength and endurance games at the OPPO booth to stand a chance to win an OPPO smartwatch. For the ladies, the challenge was to achieve 20 jump squats—made more challenging with a yoga ball—in the fastest possible time. For the men, it was holding on to a 100kg barbell for as long as they could. The winner of the former went to Laili Rahmanudin at 18.6 seconds, while the latter winner was actor Nas-T who held on for a whopping one minute and 47 seconds.

One other booth that got people excited was by Diamond & Platinum, who had their own version of a pickleball game set up. Essentially, it was a test of who was deft enough to get the ball through the right holes with the paddle. We thought we were competitive, but the people who participated in this mini game definitely out-competed us!

When players felt peckish in between games and wanted something light, Symphony Spread came to the rescue with their little cart of mixed fruits, nuts, and crackers, to be had with their selection of spreads. Some crowd favourites included the Matcha and Black Sesame flavours, but this editor enjoyed the Hazelnut Chocolate and Dark Chocolate spread flavours too.

For the car enthusiasts, it was also a chance to test drive some MG Cars. There were four to choose from: the MG5, MG4 Electric, MGS5 EV, and the MGHS—each one offers a different driving experience. The flashy MG Cyberster was also on display for people to take photos in, and trust us—those scissor doors definitely got everyone’s attention.

Eagle-eyed guests would have spotted some Hanky Planty-branded hand wash in the washrooms. For the uninitiated, this is a cruelty-free, halal, and eco-friendly bodycare and homecare brand, made from plant-derived ingredients. Outside by the courts, Hanky Planty showed off some of their best-selling items, including their body wash, laundry detergent, body lotion, and more. A little surprise—a full-sized version of their body lotion was included in the goodie bags that all guests took home that day.

Happy hour began at four in the evening, when the bar finally opened with free-flowing Gin & Tonic from The Botanist Gin and Highballs from Cointreau. Guests were excited to beat the heat, and these refreshing cocktails were the answer to their calls. The tournament went on all the way till seven in the evening, and finally, it was time to crown the winners. From the Consolation Cup, the third-place winners went to Hunny Madu and Jonathan Lourdes; second-place winners were Mereen Teo and Buddy; and the first-place winners were Edric and Shi Yin. For the Winner Cup, third place went to Juvene and Azril Gaus, second place went to Bobo Stephanie and Linus Teng, and first place went to Loreal M. and Arif Irfan. Winners took home a wide array of prizes, ranging from Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur vouchers to Lacoste goodies worth RM3,000. Additionally, lucky draw prizes were also given out to win the OPPO Find N5 smartphone and Banyan Tree Kuala Lumpur afternoon tea vouchers.

Check out the gallery below to see more of what went down during the GRAZIA Pickleball tournament.