A few years ago, building a career in pickleball may have sounded unlikely to many Malaysians.
Today, as the sport gains ground through new courts, larger tournaments, coaching demand, and wider community participation, pickleball is beginning to create opportunities not only for players, but also for coaches, trainers, referees, event organisers, and sports entrepreneurs.
INTI International College Penang alumnus Yeow Ze Sheng, who won the APP Kuala Lumpur Open Men’s Singles Championship, is building a full-time career as both a competitive pickleball athlete and coach.
For INTI International College Penang graduate Yeow Ze Sheng, that shift has become a full-time career.
The Bachelor of Business graduate recently won the APP Kuala Lumpur Open Men’s Singles Championship, a major pickleball tournament that brought together approximately 1,760 players, including hundreds of international competitors.
For Yeow, the win represents more than a title. It marks his place in a sport that is quickly moving from recreational interest to organised competition, coaching, and professional development.
Today, Yeow works full-time as both a competitive athlete and pickleball coach, training new players while continuing to compete in national tournaments. It is a career path that barely existed in Malaysia a few years ago.
“When I first became serious about pickleball, many people saw it as just another hobby,” said Yeow.
“My family naturally wondered whether there could be a future in it because the sport was still new in Malaysia. But the more I competed, the more I realised the opportunities were growing. Today, pickleball has given me opportunities to compete professionally, coach others, travel and build a career doing something I genuinely love.”
Yeow’s journey is taking place as pickleball becomes more organised in Malaysia. As schools, universities, sports clubs, and private facilities take up the sport, demand is growing for people who can coach new players, run competitions, and support its development beyond recreational play.
But Yeow’s progress was not built on opportunity alone.
Behind each tournament were years of balancing university assignments, coaching responsibilities, work commitments, and intensive training sessions. While his peers rested or spent time with friends, he was often training, travelling for competitions, or preparing for the next match.
“There were many days when I was physically exhausted,” he said. “While others were resting or spending time with friends, I was training, travelling for competitions or preparing for the next tournament. Success came from staying consistent, especially on days when nobody was watching.”
The losses shaped him as much as the wins. Yeow said some of his most important lessons came from matches he believed he should have won.
“There were tournaments where I lost matches I believed I should have won. Those defeats were difficult, but they taught me discipline, preparation, and emotional control. Looking back, losing helped me become a better athlete.”
That ability to manage pressure became especially important during the APP Kuala Lumpur Open, where staying composed was as important as physical performance.
“During difficult moments, self-doubt naturally appears. I reminded myself of the preparation I had already put in, trusted my training and focused on one point at a time,” he said.
For Yeow, some of that discipline was developed during his years at INTI International College Penang. Balancing coursework, presentations, extracurricular activities, and sport taught him how to prioritise, communicate, and stay focused under pressure.
“INTI taught me much more than business. It taught me discipline, communication, teamwork and resilience. Those lessons continue to help me every day, both on and off the court.”
While his studies helped him build structure and discipline, Yeow’s decision to pursue pickleball full-time was not immediately easy for his family to understand.
His father, Yeow Chun Wei, admitted they initially questioned whether the sport could offer long-term prospects.
“Like many parents, we were concerned because the sport was still relatively unknown in Malaysia. We wondered whether there could really be a future in it. But we saw how committed he was and decided our role was to support him rather than stop him.”
Watching Yeow build a career through the sport has since changed that perspective.
“We are proud not only because he won a championship, but because he has built something of his own. He is competing professionally while coaching younger players and helping more people discover the sport. Seeing him remain humble throughout the journey makes us even prouder.”
His coach, Timothy Foo, believes Yeow’s progress has been shaped less by natural ability than by discipline and consistency.
Yeow Ze Sheng is part of Malaysia’s growing pickleball scene, where rising tournament participation and coaching demand are creating new career opportunities in the sport.
“Talent is common. Work ethic is not,” he said.
“He takes responsibility for his own development, constantly looks for ways to improve and stays composed under pressure. Those qualities are what separate champions from everyone else.”
For Yeow, winning the APP Kuala Lumpur Open is only one part of a larger goal. As pickleball continues to grow in Malaysia, he hopes to contribute not only as a player but also as a coach, helping to develop young athletes and strengthen the local pickleball community.
“I want people to understand that success isn’t only measured by trophies. If I can help build a stronger pickleball community and inspire the next generation of players, that will be my greatest achievement.”