Selangor aims to introduce pickleball across public schools next year, turning a fast-growing pastime into a structured pathway for youth development. The push is led by Mohd Najwan Halimi, the state executive councilor for youth, sports, and entrepreneurship, who said a formal program will train teachers on coaching basics and introduce pupils to the fundamentals of the game.
Status With MSSM
“Unlike football, badminton, hockey or table tennis, which are recognized under the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM), pickleball has yet to be listed,” Najwan noted. He said Selangor will work with the Youth and Sports Ministry to facilitate inclusion of pickleball in the MSSM syllabus, which governs inter-school competition.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh welcomed the sport’s momentum but emphasized that several conditions must be met before any new discipline is introduced at school level. She said the Malaysian Pickleball Association still has groundwork to complete before the sport can be brought into classrooms.
Facilities and Costs
Yeoh added that government spending on facilities could be minimal because private operators have already built many courts in shopping centers and neighborhood areas—assets the school system could leverage without major new infrastructure.
Selangor’s move points to a practical blueprint: start with teachers, seed the basics with students, and chase MSSM recognition to unlock formal competition. If the pieces come together, the state could help shift pickleball from mall courts to morning assemblies—showing how a school-first model can build participation, coaching standards, and a talent pipeline without heavy costs, and positioning Malaysia to ride the wider Asian surge in the sport.
