MANILA — After the Philippines emerged as champions in the inaugural Pickleball Champions League (PCL) Asia, eight Filipino teams will compete for the chance to defend the crown in Season 2.

Eight elite teams, composed of the top-ranked pickleball players in the country, will battle it out in PCL Philippines next month.

PCL Philippines is the national leg of PCL Asia, which serves as the avenue for Filipino pickleball athletes and clubs to qualify for the continental finals.

The winner of the two-day tournament will earn the right to represent the Philippines at the PCL Asia Finals in Shenzen, China. They will also receive a $5,000 travel grant as the country’s representatives.

The Filipino team that comes out on top in PCL Philippines will fight to defend the crown and compete for a share of the $96,000 finals prize pool.

Organizers said the eight teams are already set and have committed to join, but the final lineups of these squads will be revealed soon.

To level the playing field for the competition, organizers will implement a rule that discourages “super teams” or squads with top-level players.

“Every region that we’re participating in, all 32 of them, they have to come up with a list of their top players, male and female, and no team is allowed to have more than one player from that list in the male and female list. So we’re trying to make sure that the teams are well balanced at the sectional level, because that makes it a lot more fun for all those teams to compete and have a chance to win,” PCL Chairman Steve Kuhn explained.

“And because we’re enforcing that rule here in the Philippines, we obviously have to enforce that throughout all of Asia, and we’re making sure that our team, Alex and Jan and all our organizers are aware of that. So we want the best players to play, but we want the teams at each section to be balanced enough so that those competitions are intense and amazing,” he added.

The Philippines showed the country’s potential to be a rising sport in pickleball, after winning the inaugural PCL Asia.

Champions Fatima Amirul and Nik Isagan are looking forward to the new season and fresh competition.

The two admit there’s pressure on them to defend the crown in the upcoming PCL Philippines, but they say they will do their best since they have more time to prepare.

“Yeah it does put a lot of pressure on us. Of course, because we won the first PCL, but we always try to put it in our mindsets that we are not always going to win every tournament that we join. We cannot control the outcomes of every game that we play. So we learned to accept that whatever the result is, at least we played the best,” Isagan said.

“We’ll be in different teams and we’re bringing all of these other players who are transitioning to pickleball or they’re already in pickleball and we’re giving the spotlight to them and the sport. So I think that it could help in growing pickleball here in the Philippines,” she shared.

“And it’s going to be exciting because it’s a high level competition and everyone will be fighting for that one spot. So I hope it’s going to inspire every Filipino who watches it and hopefully part time pickleball,” Amirul added.

Once they finalize their lineup, they will hold weekly or daily practices and maximize practicing as a complete team to ensure they are more ready come competition day.

PCL Philippines Season 2 will take place at the Mall of Asia Music Hall from November 15 to 16.

Following the success of the first season, PCL Asia is returning on a bigger scale, promising tougher competition, higher stakes and more visibility for the rising sport.

“What was incredibly interesting about season one was when we had these eight teams come from all over Asia, we had really no idea which teams would be better. And we didn’t know what to expect. And what was actually amazing about season one or initially about it is the teams were very close,” Kuhn said.

32 teams from all across Asia will compete for the record $256,000 prize pool, including a $30,000 prize for the grand champion.

“The future of pickleball is in Asia. And we’re seeing it built every day, whether that’s in Vietnam, whether that’s in Malaysia, whether that’s in China, whether that’s in Indonesia, and whether it’s here in the Philippines. And so, we’re seeing it grow more and more every day. It’s just a joy to see that,” Kuhn added.

“What we want to do is, for Season 2, we want to expand our reach to other Asian countries. So that, you know, more players from everywhere, from Asia, can enjoy the fun. So for Season 2, we have already invited teams from Indonesia, from Thailand, from India, and then from Japan. Of course, we have more teams coming from China as well,” PCL President Alex Yuen shared.

Two of the country’s representatives to PCL Asia, who eventually won the championship, share what it was like playing for the flag.

“It was really an honor to represent the country out there, especially in the PCL, where all of the Asian countries are going to be playing too. So I had really fun playing with my teammates and representing the country the best way possible,” Amirul said.

As for Isagan, he relished the opportunity to represent the country. For him, coming home with the trophy and cash prize was a huge bonus.

“Experiencing firsthand playing internationally for the country is very, very big. And it put a lot of pressure on me. And I think all of my teammates also felt that,” he said.

“So one of the advice that I can give to the upcoming players is that just trust yourself and your team. And always believe that your home country is rooting for you. You’re not alone in your battle. Everyone is battling with you in the court,” Isagan added.

Toby Claudio, Toby’s Sports president and pickleball enthusiast, underscored how huge the win of the Philippine team is for the local pickleball community.

“It’s a huge day for pickleball. And to think that we won it all during the first season really proved that we can hold our own against the best pickleball players in Asia. This time we’ll have even more teams who can battle it out. And we will be able to stage a competition between the top eight teams in the Philippines,” he said.