Voting for the Unified World Pickleball Federation (UWPF) Board of Administrators was formally accomplished in the course of the Worldwide Pickleball Federation’s AGM on 30 August 2025—and with it, the federation’s very first set of leaders had been named.
The seven-person Board spanned representatives from seven nations throughout three continents. Asia, a continent quick rising as a pickleball hotbed, gained 4 seats on the Board, reinforcing but once more its rising affect within the pickleball panorama. The seven members of the UWPF are:
- Rika Riordan of Japan
- Allen Zeng of China
- Jimmy Tan of Asia
- Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen of Malaysia
- Miguel Montaño Freire of Spain
- Giulia Soresina of Italy
- Kim Janice Wagner of South Africa
Farrell Choo Kah Thiam, President of the Malaysia Pickleball Affiliation, known as Dr Yii’s inclusion on the UWPF Board a “Historic Second for Malaysia and Sarawak!” in a social media publish asserting the event.
“On thirtieth August 2025, the Unified World Pickleball Federation elected its first-ever Board of Administrators, and Malaysia is on the worldwide stage! Congratulations to Dr Kelvin Yii from Sarawak for being elected into the inaugural Board of Administrators,” Choo additional wrote. “This can be a proud milestone for Malaysia and Sarawakians, as we assist form the way forward for pickleball worldwide, and work in the direction of the Olympic dream.”
As historic a second as that is for Malaysia, whose pickleball panorama is arguably among the many world’s most energetic and passionate, the number of this Board can also be a watershed second for the game normally. Lengthy fragmented, and searching for a unified id, the Worldwide Pickleball Federation is working double time to vary all that—and the creation of the UWPF is a step in that route for certain.
Now, the UWPF has a Board of Administrators to chart the best way ahead, and count on nothing lower than large issues from Dr Yii and firm.
The way forward for international pickleball, certainly, is in nice palms.
