Shah Alam in Selangor Rises as Pickleball Hub as City’s Sports Tourism Grows
Published: Oct 08, 2025
Arthur Jones
Writer
The city of Shah Alam in Selangor, Malaysia, is fast becoming one of the country’s premier destinations, and one of its main attractions has been sports tourism. In fact, just recently, the city attracted over 4,000 participants when it hosted the Shah Alam Half Marathon, proving yet again its emergence as a sports town.
But what’s truly setting Shah Alam apart from other cities in Selangor and on par with bigger ones like Kuala Lumpur is its pickleball scene, which has been growing explosively in recent months. Proof of pickleball’s soaring popularity in the city is the increasing number of courts, which is so far among the highest in Selangor, according to Mohd Najwan Halimi, State Executive Councillor for Youth, Sports, and Entrepreneurship.
“In Shah Alam, we have over 15 pickleball courts in Padang Jawa alone, not counting those in Seksyen 16 and Setia Alam,” the Kota Anggerik Assemblyman told Media Selangor recently. “This is among the highest numbers in the state, and has become a major draw for (pickleball) enthusiasts.”
With pickleball enjoying ever-increasing popularity as the world’s fastest-rising sport, Halimi believes Shah Alam has now become a strategic location for pickleball and that this will only build on the city’s sports tourism gains in recent years.
This burgeoning pickleball scene is an asset in and of itself, for sure, but when combined with Shah Alam’s bustling food and recreation industries, the foundation for a truly holistic tourism landscape is certainly there — and it is quite strong and robust.
“Many local cafés in Seksyen 6, 8 and 13 provide lounging areas for youth; from Kopi Pokok to The Coffee Dock, each location offers a unique experience,” Halimi pointed out.
Needless to say, pickleball plus good food is quite the combination, and pickleball players in Malaysia and in Southeast Asia would likely agree with that.
“In Shah Alam, we have over 15 pickleball courts in Padang Jawa alone, not counting those in Seksyen 16 and Setia Alam,” the Kota Anggerik Assemblyman told Media Selangor recently. “This is among the highest numbers in the state, and has become a major draw for (pickleball) enthusiasts.”
With pickleball enjoying ever-increasing popularity as the world’s fastest-rising sport, Halimi believes Shah Alam has now become a strategic location for pickleball and that this will only build on the city’s sports tourism gains in recent years.
This burgeoning pickleball scene is an asset in and of itself, for sure, but when combined with Shah Alam’s bustling food and recreation industries, the foundation for a truly holistic tourism landscape is certainly there — and it is quite strong and robust.
“Many local cafés in Seksyen 6, 8 and 13 provide lounging areas for youth; from Kopi Pokok to The Coffee Dock, each location offers a unique experience,” Halimi pointed out.
Needless to say, pickleball plus good food is quite the combination, and pickleball players in Malaysia and in Southeast Asia would likely agree with that.
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