PPA Tour Asia Unveils Unique Medal Design for 2026, Sets New Big Challenge – Pickleball News Asia
The PPA Tour Asia has unveiled a new medal design for 2026, and it pays homage to the culture and tr
These pieces are specifically designed to interlock and form a single ceremonial fan marked by a dragon that winds through all three pieces. A podium finish gives a player one piece of the medal puzzle. Podium finishes in each of the three tiers will then allow that player to complete the ceremonial fan and form the mythical creature in all its glory.
Needless to say, every player participating in the PPA Tour Asia in 2026 will have a side quest to think of: complete the mighty dragon.
The design and story of the ceremonial medal draw plenty of inspiration from mythology that spans across Asia, and the central figure of it all is the dragon, or “long” in China, “rong” in Vietnam, “naga” in Thailand, and “ryu” in Japan.
While the dragon goes by different names in different Asian nations, it more or less carries the same meaning: that of power, prosperity, and good fortune. And, for thousands of years, the mighty dragon has been chasing anything and everything worth pursuing, from pearls, to jewels, to flaming orbs, and more.
Deep royal blue—the colour of imperial courts and nobility across the continent—sets the creature against the precious metal, while white lotus flowers add an ornamental feature to the design. The lotus, of course, is another one of the most enduring symbols in Asian iconography, growing in mud but rising through murky water, and blooming clean above the surface. Its growth symbolises the cycle of struggle and emergence and has represented perseverance and transformation for centuries. Now, in the PPA Tour Asia, the flower embodies the athlete’s journey to the top of the podium and the constant endeavour to achieve.
The fan that will be formed is meant to tie the elements together. Across Asia, fans carry ceremonial weight and are opened at weddings, presented to royalty, and used to mark moments of significance. With the completed design, the three pieces radiate outward, locking at the centre, unfolding a story of victories across the continent.
What’s more, players who miss out on a place on the podium will still have some hardware to take home. Each player at every stop will receive a unique pin that echoes the design of that tournament’s medal.
That’s a nice consolation prize, if anything. But the mission is clear: complete the dragon in 2026.
