Manny Pacquiao built a regional basketball league eight years ago. Now he is doing the same thing for pickleball.
The Filipino sports icon is spearheading the launch of the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour—the MPPT—a professional team-based pickleball league eyeing eight pioneering franchises for its initial rollout later this year. The tour will be sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board, with representation from Metro Manila, Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The inaugural season will feature a prize pool of no less than ₱5 million.
Three teams have already confirmed their participation. MPPT Chief Executive Officer Joe Ramos said the full roster of eight franchises is expected to be finalized this month.
The MPPT Format
The MPPT will kick off with a five-leg invitational this year. Each team carries three men’s and three women’s players, competing in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Round robin group matches run on Saturdays, with the top teams advancing to the quarterfinals on Sunday. Semifinals and finals follow on the same day.
“This format highlights the depth of talent in Philippine pickleball while creating a competitive and exciting team environment,” said MPPT Commissioner Mark K. Espinosa.
The weekend-only structure is deliberate—designed to build a consistent competitive calendar without the logistical burden of mid-week travel for franchises spread across the archipelago.
Pacquiao’s Vision—and His Hobby
The parallels to Pacquiao’s MPBL are not coincidental. When Pacquiao launched the MPBL in 2018, it gave hundreds of Filipino players a professional platform that the PBA could not absorb. The MPPT is built on the same idea—using the sport’s rapid growth as the foundation for something structured, sustainable, and nationally representative.
“It’s always been my mission to promote sports and give our athletes a platform to showcase their talents and bring pride and honor to their cities and provinces,” said Pacquiao. “I know it’s a relatively new sport in the Philippines, but it’s exciting and easy to learn. There is an abundance of up-and-coming talents in pickleball in the country. Giving them a chance to represent their cities and provinces will make the experience even more meaningful for them and those in their communities.”
Pacquiao is not just promoting the sport from a distance. He has picked it up himself, playing recreationally with his wife Jinkee in the gym at their General Santos City compound. The man who once unified four weight classes in professional boxing now rallies with a pickleball paddle. That image alone does more for the sport’s visibility in the Philippines than any marketing campaign could.
What Is Pickleball?
Pickleball is a fast-growing racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. It is played on a smaller court than tennis, with a lower net and a perforated plastic ball. Players use solid paddles to hit the ball, and the game can be played in singles or doubles.
The sport emphasizes quick reflexes, strategy, and placement rather than sheer power, making it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels. Its easy-to-learn rules and shorter rallies have contributed to its rapid rise in popularity worldwide, including in the Philippines, where it has spread through gyms, subdivisions, and sports facilities.
The Bigger Picture
Pickleball has already been called the fastest-growing sport in the Philippines—a hybrid of tennis, table tennis, and badminton that has spread rapidly through gyms, subdivisions, and sports facilities across the country. The MPPT gives that grassroots energy a professional destination. Players now have something to aspire to beyond recreational play and local tournaments.
Whether the MPPT becomes the premier professional pickleball platform in the Philippines will depend on execution—the franchises that sign on, the quality of competition that develops, and the audience that shows up. The early indicators are promising.
But when Manny Pacquiao puts his name behind something, people pay attention. Philippine sports history has proven that more than once.
