Credits to: GPF
The Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) will stage its second in-person GPF Congress and Annual General Meeting in the Philippines from Saturday, November 29, to Wednesday, December 3, 2025. The venue is the Edsa Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City, one of Metro Manila’s landmark hotels and an easy launchpad for both meetings and play. The four-day gathering will unite federation presidents, national delegates, and key stakeholders to align on rules, ethics, and the sport’s global expansion.
The Philippines has surged into Asia’s pickleball spotlight, thanks to lively street-court scenes, club growth, and easy-access venues. Hosting the Congress in Metro Manila places the movement’s community heartbeat beside its boardroom debates. The setting signals GPF’s bet that durable growth starts where new players first pick up a paddle.
This surge underscores the broader rise of pickleball in Asia, where communities from Manila to Kuala Lumpur are driving both visibility and participation.
Unity, Compliance, Participation
Governance with unity. Sessions are designed to help members “connect, reflect, and plan ahead,” consolidating standards, representation, and transparency across continents.
Olympic-pathway literacy. Workshops will unpack International Olympic Committee (IOC) compliance—essential policies for integrity, anti-doping, and safeguarding—and outline steps toward membership in AIMS (the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport), a recognized bridge for sports seeking wider legitimacy.
Grassroots first. Program blocks elevate community pipelines—street events, school partnerships, and national starter programs—treating participation growth as the sport’s true performance metric.
Schedule and Agenda
Saturday, November 29 — Arrival Day
6:00–9:00 p.m. • Welcome session and poolside cocktails, with informal networking and introductions.
Sunday, November 30 — Congress Day
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. • Opening session with a keynote from GPF President Javier Regalado; presentations on grassroots programs; committee updates; deep dives on IOC compliance and AIMS membership; regional growth briefings, including Asia.
6:00–9:00 p.m. • Street Pickleball Showcase and dinner at Manila’s historic play site.Monday, December 1 — Annual General Meeting
9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. • AGM and 2026 Board elections.
2:00–6:00 p.m. • Open play at hotel courts or nearby shopping.
7:00–9:00 p.m. • Formal dinner and recognition ceremony.
Tuesday, December 2 — Cultural Excursion
All day • Pagsanjan Falls canoe ride and a visit to Villa Escudero Cultural Village.
Wednesday, December 3 –Departure Day
Please contact Cynthia Clark at cclark@globalpickleballfederation.org to confirm your attendance.
Across four crisp days, the GPF Congress aims to do more than trade PowerPoints. It brings decision-makers and do-ers into the same Manila sunlight—where policy meets pavement, where bylaws meet backhands. If pickleball’s future hinges on credible governance and inclusive entry points, this Congress is built to lock both in: a ruleset the world can trust, and a runway where every new player—kid, club regular, or national hopeful finds a place in the rally.
As the sport strengthens governance worldwide, the Manila event also reinforces the unifying role of pickleball Asia in shaping the sport’s next era.
