{"id":3616,"date":"2026-05-11T18:34:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T09:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/news\/pacquiao-pickleball-league\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T18:34:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T09:34:40","slug":"pacquiao-pickleball-league","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/pickle-times.com\/en\/news\/pacquiao-pickleball-league\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacquiao Founds the Philippines' First Pro Pickleball League \"MPPT\" -- An 8-Team Format Launching in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manny Pacquiao, the legendary eight-division boxing champion, announced on May 7, 2026, the founding of the Philippines' first pro pickleball league, the \u201cMaharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT).\u201d With 8 teams, three doubles disciplines, and total prize money of over 5 million pesos (about \u00a513 million), it will open in the second half of 2026 as a five-leg invitational tour. As the Philippines' pickleball population expands rapidly, it is drawing international attention as Asia's first full-scale pro league.<\/p>\n

The full picture of the MPPT that Pacquiao is launching<\/h2>\n

The MPPT is the second pro sports league following the basketball league \u201cMPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League)\u201d that Pacquiao launched in 2019. Recognized by the Philippine Games and Amusements Board (GAB), it has appointed Joe Ramos as CEO and Mark K. Espinosa as commissioner.<\/p>\n

Pacquiao routinely plays pickleball with his wife Jinkee at the gym at his home in General Santos City, and his passion for the sport is genuine. He has said, \u201cIt has always been my mission to promote sports and create places for athletes to show their talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Background to the league\u2014the Philippines' rapid pickleball growth<\/h2>\n

In the Philippines, the move to renovate tennis and badminton facilities into pickleball-shared use is accelerating, and more than 50 courts are in operation in Metro Manila alone. In Japan too, afacility rush<\/a>was reported, but in Southeast Asia the Philippines' growth stands out. As a country with a rooted basketball culture, there is fertile ground where a team-based format resonates easily with local fans.<\/p>\n

Internationally as well,The unified rulebook<\/a>the development of infrastructure is progressing, and the MPPT was founded amid rising momentum for league establishment in various countries.<\/p>\n

The MPPT design in data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
League name<\/td>\nMaharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour\uff08MPPT\uff09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of teams<\/td>\n8 teams (3 confirmed, all teams to be confirmed within May)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Team composition<\/td>\n6 players total: 3 men + 3 women<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Event<\/td>\nMen's doubles \/ women's doubles \/ mixed doubles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Match format<\/td>\nSaturday = round robin, Sunday = quarterfinals to final<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of legs<\/td>\n5 legs (invitational tour)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total prize money<\/td>\nOver 5 million pesos (about \u00a513 million)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Regional coverage<\/td>\nMetro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recognition<\/td>\nGAB\uff08Games and Amusements Board\uff09<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Reactions within the Philippines<\/h2>\n

Depth of the player pool:<\/strong>Commissioner Espinosa commented, \u201cThere's more talent in Philippine pickleball than you'd imagine,\u201d showing confidence in the league's competitive level. Multiple Philippine players are ranked within the world's top 15, and domestic selection is sure to be fierce.<\/p>\n

Sponsor expectations:<\/strong>Because there's a precedent of basketball's MPBL succeeding in partnership with local governments, regional companies and media are also taking interest in the MPPT. The weekend-held format has high affinity with the broadcast-rights business.<\/p>\n

Welcomed by women players:<\/strong>With each team composed of 3 men and 3 women, exposure and career opportunities for women players are secured. In the Philippine pickleball community, voices have arisen that \u201cthis will change the practice environment for women players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impact on Japanese pickleballers<\/h2>\n

For pickleballers in Japan, where the playing population is growing, the MPPT is noteworthy on two points. First, with a pro league born in Asia, the route for Japanese players to challenge overseas leagues becomes concrete. If linkage with the PPA Asia Tour advances, the shape of an Asian circuit spanning Hanoi, Manila, and Tokyo comes into view.<\/p>\n

Second, it's an experiment in the business model of franchise and team systems. Amid moves in Japan too to consider a B.League-style community-based league, the MPPT's success or failure becomes a model case.<\/p>\n

Ripple effects toward league formation in Asia<\/h2>\n

Already in Vietnam the PPA Asia Tour is holding multiple legs, and in India the pickleball federation has begun discussing going pro. The MPPT's founding is a first step in proving that \u201ca pro league can work in Asia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacquiao's name recognition has influence across all of Southeast Asia, and similar league concepts could accelerate in Thailand and Indonesia.The national U.S. broadcast of the PPA Finals<\/a>As became a talking point in America, the pattern of expanded media exposure serving as a trigger for going pro is now finally being reproduced in Asia as well.<\/p>\n

Practical information for following the MPPT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nDetails<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Official announcement date<\/td>\nMay 7, 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
All teams expected to be confirmed<\/td>\nWithin May 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Scheduled opening<\/td>\nSecond half of 2026<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Days held<\/td>\nSaturdays and Sundays only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
CEO<\/td>\nJoe Ramos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Commissioner<\/td>\nMark K. Espinosa<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ball\/paddle standards used<\/td>\nNot yet announced (to conform to GAB standards)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Broadcast<\/td>\nNot yet announced (the weekend format suits broadcast rights)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

Pacquiao's move carries great significance. Not only is pickleball elevated to a higher-level \u201cpro sport\u201d within the Philippines, but it could become a trigger for a chain of league formation across all of Asia. The details of team composition, prize money, and media will be worked out over the coming weeks, but the mere fact that 8 teams \u00d7 6 players = 48 pro slots are newly born in Asia is already news that Japanese players and club operators should follow.<\/p>\n

Citations and references<\/h2>\n