From a $55 wooden paddle to medals: A retiree’s pickleball journey since 1996

SINGAPORE – When Elaine Yong started playing pickleball in 1996, the $55 paddle she used was bright yellow and made of wood.

Her curiosity was piqued three decades ago, after she saw a television advertisement for a game she had never heard of.

She got in touch with the Singapore Pickleball Association and bought her first paddle.

Now a sprightly 73, the retired property agent told The Straits Times: “It was a wooden paddle and there were two colours to choose from – brown and bright yellow – that can last you for over 10 years because it’s so hard.

“I remember it was made of plywood, not like the new ones today that are made of carbon fibre.”

As the sport was still in its infancy then, dedicated pickleball courts were almost unheard of. Community centres had mostly ceramic or parquet flooring and the ball would skid or slide.

She added: “We only played at the community centres and there were no outdoor courts. The ball was also very different, it was white and very hard – maybe the QC (quality control) wasn’t as good then.

“The player (demographics) were also very different, many of them were seniors... We tried to promote the sport to schools but they weren’t keen.”

From the equipment to the many enthusiasts who now fill the courts, Yong has since seen the sport transform beyond recognition.

She has also swopped her yellow wooden paddle – which she used for 18 years – for one made of carbon fibre, which is the standard among competitive players today.

Her original paddle, however, is long gone.

“I’m very sad to tell you that, when I moved house, I threw out my very first paddle because I wasn’t using it anymore... Now that I think about it, maybe I should’ve kept it,” she said.

When asked if there was anything remaining from those early days, Yong said: “I don’t think so, the biggest change is that a lot of young players are coming in and the paddle technology and balls are all different, better.

“We never played outdoors, but now we can… Back then, we didn’t even play in the sports hall, unless it was a major tournament, like the Pesta Sukan.”

Her early years in the sport were shaped by competition.

She said: “For the first seven years, I was very competitive and had paired up with one of my friends and competed in tournaments held at the community clubs.

“But after she injured her leg, she stopped playing and I found another partner. I’ve been playing competitively until now and also gone overseas to play.”

That dedication has taken her from community centres to courts across the region. She won three golds, two silvers and a bronze at the Vietnam World Pickleball Championship in April 2024, as well as a bronze in the women’s 70+ doubles category at the English Open in Birmingham – she was visiting her brother-in-law in Nottingham, which is an hour away – in August.

She has also found a new mixed doubles partner in Swiss Tom Holliger, whom she first paired up with in Hua Hin, Thailand, where they won a silver in the mixed doubles 60+ category at the Asia Open in March.

The pair then reunited in Birmingham, but managed to make it only to the quarter-finals.

Despite her competitive side, Yong has some advice for those who are playing the sport more seriously.

She added: “Winning medals matters – everybody wants to win – but don’t lose a friend. I don’t complain, blame or criticise my partner when we lose because I think friendship is the most important.”

These days, she is making new friends on the court at PickleMall pop-up, which is where she spoke to ST before a session at Sengkang Grand Mall on Aug 26.

PickleMall, which is backed by automobile manufacturer Leapmotor, pickleball equipment brand Joola and venue partner CapitaLand, is bringing pickleball courts into shopping malls across the island.

The pickleball pop-up ran at Sengkang Grand Mall from Aug 18 to 30, before moving to Junction 8 from Aug 31 to Sept 6.

The next stop is Aperia Mall from Oct 19 to 30, followed by Geneo Mall at the Singapore Science Park from Dec 5 to Jan 17.

A PickleMall spokesperson noted that “heartland locations like Sengkang are ideal for building communities, which aligns with our core goal”.