It’s a hit: pickleball takes off in Hong Kong as an easy way for kids to exercise

Seventeen-year-old Chan Yat-long just started learning pickleball, but he wants to continue playing.

“Now I know this sport ... I want to find [more] friends to play together,” said the student from United Christian College.

Kennedy Lai is the founder of the Newly Emerged Sports Association. He said pickleball was a hit among young Hongkongers.

He hopes that the easy-to-learn sport can get students moving.

How to encourage Hong Kong children to get more exercise

In 1965, three fathers wanted to create a game their families could easily play together. They used items they had to make this new sport: badminton nets, table tennis paddles and a plastic ball known as a wiffle ball.

Pickleball spread over the years and became especially popular during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sport could be helpful for youth in Hong Kong. This is because more than 90 per cent of the city’s youngsters do not get at least 60 minutes of medium or intense exercise every day. Pickleball offers them a fun, easy way to get active.

Lai was a physical education teacher in Hong Kong for about six years. He turned to pickleball after his students struggled to pick up traditional sports.

“[For] basketball, after I teach dribbling, they don’t know how to play the game. I need to use many lessons to let them know the sport,” Lai said. He said this made kids lose interest in his classes.

He realised that if a sport was too difficult to learn, most students would not enjoy playing it.

When Lai started teaching pickleball in his classes, he noticed that students could play from the first day.

Other advantages of the sport are the cheap equipment, low injury risks, small amount of space needed and opportunities to socialise. Badminton courts can also be easily converted to play pickleball.

Lai is looking to include pickleball in physical education classes across Hong Kong. He also hopes to launch school and community leagues.

Still, he faces some challenges in getting people interested in pickleball.

Lai said that most schools already had a curriculum filled with other popular sports, making it tough to convince schools to try a new game. He added that it would take time to train physical education teachers in the sport.

Pickleball players also struggle to find courts. But Lai noted that the private sector and government had been increasing the number of courts that could be used for the game.

Students are now trying pickleball through the Fly High Charity Sports Programme 2025, which is using sports to improve the lives of youth. The programme is co-organised by the Tencent Charity Foundation and Gaw Capital People’s Place.

During their first pickleball lesson, the students learned the rules of the game and practised forehand and backhand shots. Then, they tried hitting the ball across the court.

Tina Xu Piying, an 18-year-old from United Christian College, said she enjoyed the social side of the game.

“I think the most fun part is, this is a teamwork game,” said the teen, who was trying the sport for the first time through the programme. “Now Hong Kong has many new sports, and people will want to have a chance to try.”

• Reflect: Do you enjoy playing sports? Why or why not?

• Why this story matters: Hong Kong children are not getting enough exercise, but a new sport could help people of all ages get moving. Since pickleball is easy to learn, it can give beginners the confidence and excitement of playing a sport.