Malaysia is DUPR’s Fastest Growing Market Globally

On April 25, 2025, the energy at the KL Pickleball Summit was unmistakable. Hundreds of pickleball enthusiasts, facility owners, investors, and players gathered at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) to chart the future of pickleball in Malaysia and the world.

Among the summit’s standout sessions was a powerful talk by DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) leadership, featuring CEO Tito Machado and COO Kevin Kim.

Their message was clear: Malaysia is not just growing in pickleball, it’s leading.

Malaysia Top The Most DUPR Users in The World

According to DUPR’s data, Malaysia has officially become the #1 country in the world for:

• Registered DUPR users
• Average number of matches played per user (an impressive 15 matches per user)

In just nine months, Malaysia’s pickleball community surged, fueled by over 350 DUPR-affiliated clubs across 200 facilities nationwide. Integration with local tech platforms like ReClub and Baseline helped support this rapid expansion.

Kevin Kim noted, "The growth is astonishing. Malaysia is not just participating - you are setting the benchmark globally."

Collaboration Over Competition: DUPR’s Core Strategy

Tito Machado emphasized a key lesson from the U.S. pickleball experience: collaboration is the future. Rather than competing with clubs or event organizers, DUPR positions itself as a utility providing essential tools to clubs, tournaments, and players.

Machado warned that industries fail when they "cannibalize" themselves through infighting. He stressed: "Feeding the bottom of the pyramid is essential. Only then can the top grow sustainably."

This approach aligns perfectly with Malaysia’s community-driven sports culture, giving local organizers the infrastructure needed to build vibrant and interconnected pickleball ecosystems.

Solving the Challenges: Integrity & Fair Play

As pickleball grows, maintaining the integrity of ratings and competition becomes critical. During the summit, DUPR addressed several important issues facing Malaysian players:

• Multiple Accounts: Players creating multiple DUPR accounts to manipulate ratings will face lifetime bans. A new Blue Pickle Verification process is being introduced for identity validation.
• "Smurfing" (Intentional Losing): Players found deliberately losing matches to gain lower ratings for tournament advantages will also be permanently banned.
• Algorithm Enhancements: In June 2025, DUPR will launch its P2 Algorithm, reintroducing connectivity-based rating systems. This will allow better global calibration and reduce rating inconsistencies between regions.

Kim explained, "The new system will link players worldwide more dynamically, ensuring fairer, more accurate ratings no matter where you play."

DUPR’s Bigger Vision: Building Pathways to Global Success

Beyond just tracking scores, DUPR is creating player pathways that could catapult Malaysian talent onto the global stage.

Minor League Pickleball, run by DUPR, is expanding worldwide. It offers amateur players a structured, team-based competition model that feeds into the Major League Pickleball (MLP) system at the professional level. 

Players who excel at Minor League tournaments can qualify for global championships, opening pathways to scholarships, sponsorships, and professional careers.

Additionally, DUPR is investing heavily in collegiate pickleball programs in the U.S., partnering with over 300 universities including prestigious schools like Harvard Machado emphasized: "Kids who start playing in Malaysian clubs today could one day earn scholarships to top American universities or even go pro."

This positions Malaysia at the forefront of nurturing Asia’s next generation of elite pickleball athletes.