By Yashila Issabelle
Last Saturday, Botani Sports Hub was filled with excitement as more than 50 people gathered for a special Pickleball Experience event.
The programme, organised by ViQ Sports together with Botani Sports Hub and TAS Studio, aimed to give Ipoh people, young and old, a chance to try out one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Learning the game
Participants were provided with paddles and guided by Coach Lee Jia An (32), who explained how to move on the court and introduced the basic rules.
His friendly and approachable style made it easy for beginners to ask questions and quickly pick up the sport.
After the short lesson, the crowd split into small groups to try out real matches.
The coach and his team moved between the courts, offering pointers, showing techniques, and giving encouragement.
Children also had their own guided session, where Coach Lee patiently taught them how to serve and guided them one by one.
Activities and treats
The event wasn’t just about pickleball.
Participants could enjoy refreshing dragon fruit protein shakes, which came with vouchers for free trial classes and discounts at TAS Studio.
There was also a t-shirt customisation booth by ViQ Sports, where participants chose Merdeka-inspired sticker designs for their shirts.
They were then invited to join in the pressing process together, making it a fun and interactive activity.
A photo booth kept the fun going with props and snapshots, while the first 30 arrivals received goodie bags filled with snacks, water, and a RM10 gift card from Inside Scoop.
Lucky draw highlights
To add to the excitement, participants collected stamps for each activity they joined.
Those with completed cards entered the lucky draw, where two special prizes were waiting.
The ViQ merchandise set was won by Christine Chuah (54), who was overjoyed and celebrated with her friends.
The Aerial Yoga experience at Skylume Fitness went to Melin Rani of Ipoh, who admitted she hadn’t expected to win.
A cheerful close
The day wrapped up with a group photo, bringing everyone together for one last snapshot of the morning.
