Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has officially launched the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT), a new national pickleball league aimed at promoting the fast-growing sport in the Philippines.
The first event in the five-leg tournament is slated for October 3 and 4 in Angeles City, Pampanga, with 12 founding teams from Luzon, Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao competing for championship honors and valuable ranking points.
Sanctioned by the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), the MPPT is expected to serve as a platform for the development of Filipino pickleball athletes while expanding the sport's reach across the country.
Each winning team per leg will receive ₱1 million, according to MPPT Chief Executive Officer Joe Ramos, making it one of the country's most lucrative pickleball competitions.
The league will feature teams representing Pampanga, Abra, Batangas, Bangued, Muntinlupa, Alfonso and Bacoor in Cavite, Camarines Norte, Rizal, Parañaque, Tacloban, and General Santos City.
Every team will be composed of three male and three female players, who will compete in men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles events throughout the tournament.
Following the opening leg in October, two more legs are scheduled in November before the championship finale in December, where the top eight teams in the standings will battle for the inaugural MPPT title.
Pacquiao said the creation of the league aims to help develop athletes, encourage greater participation in pickleball, and establish a long-term foundation for the sport's continued growth in the Philippines. He also expressed optimism that more teams will be able to join the competition in future editions as interest in pickleball continues to rise nationwide.
