OCBC Group has announced a partnership with Singapore Sports Hub to launch a comprehensive pickleball programme, including the creation of new courts and one of Southeast Asia’s largest pickleball tournaments. The initiative brings together OCBC Bank, Bank of Singapore, Great Eastern, and Kallang Alive Sport Management.
As part of the project, eight new outdoor pickleball courts will be constructed at the Singapore Sports Hub and made available for public use starting January 2026. Two junior tennis courts at the Kallang Tennis Hub and three basketball courts at the Promenade at National Stadium will also be converted into dual-use facilities for both their original sports and pickleball. Play times will be scheduled in advance to allow easy booking for all users.
The addition of these facilities is expected to provide more than 20,000 hours of pickleball play annually. Public bookings for these courts will start from S$5 during non-peak hours.
Leading up to the main tournament in the third quarter of 2026, over 500 players are expected to participate in a series of preliminary games and activities. The final event will see more than 2,000 competitors playing on over 20 specially set-up courts inside the National Stadium across three days.
Bank of Singapore will also host an exclusive corporate challenge as part of the tournament. This invite-only category is designed for corporate teams and clients.
Group CEO Helen Wong commented on the collaboration: "We are excited to bring pickleball to even more people in Singapore as One OCBC Group. For the first time, all our major entities, OCBC Bank, Bank of Singapore and Great Eastern, are coming together to jointly support an increasingly popular sport that deserves to be even more easily accessible. The Singapore Sports Hub and OCBC Group share a common vision—not just in promoting sports, but in bringing entertainment and lifestyle activities to the community. Two other iconic sporting events, OCBC Cycle and the Great Eastern Women’s Run, are already staged at the Singapore Sports Hub. Expanding this partnership represents a natural and strategic alignment for us.”
Quek Swee Kuan, CEO of Kallang Alive Sport Management added: "As a destination, Singapore Sports Hub offers quality spaces and programmes for lifestyle, recreational and competitive sporting pursuits. The addition of pickleball, an accessible and inclusive sport, to our offerings reflects our commitment to be responsive to the needs of players and communities in our midst. We are pleased to partner OCBC Group, amongst other like-minded organisations, to deliver on our various initiatives to grow the sport and strengthen the broader pickleball ecosystem.”
The popularity of pickleball has grown in Singapore due its accessibility for people across different ages and fitness levels. More details about upcoming events related to this initiative are expected in early 2026.