Pickleball in Malaysia - The birth of Malaysia's Own Pickleball Brand
When one talks about trying a new sport in Malaysia, pickleball is a name that comes up a lot. It is very well-known in the US and Europe but is considered a new sports in Asia. However, racket sports have always been popular in Malaysia: from badminton to tennis and then squash. Hence, it is not surprising that pickleball has started to put down a foot here in Malaysia. Over the past 1 year, we have seen pickleball growing steadily in terms of popularity and consumer awareness. More and more badminton as well as tennis courts have been converted to pickleball courts, both indoors and outdoors. A proper pickleball court is about the size of a badminton court, and half the size of a tennis court. Therefore, it makes sense to convert these badminton courts and tennis courts to pickleball facilities, without incurring much cost.
It is this relatively easy access to pickleball courts, that propel the sports to greater fame. Compared to squash or padel sports, it is much easier to build a pickleball court. Not only that, but the initial investment for a player to start the game, is also minimal. One just needs to buy a decent pickleball paddle (which requires only about MYR150) and some balls (about MR15 for a pack). There is not a need to change any string. So, your main equipment expenditure is just on the pickleball paddle. Therefore, it is comparatively cheaper to play pickleball than badminton, tennis, squash or even padel tennis in terms of equipment costs
With all the above in mind, it is just a matter of time before a local company dives into the Pickleball business and introduces its own brand of pickleball products. And, this is indeed what happened when a local sports company that is also the agent for the prestigious French brand called Babolat, comes out with their own range of pickleball paddles via the brand called Osone. Osone pickleball paddles are catered for all levels of players: from beginners, through intermediates, to advanced and competition-level players.
What is so good about Osone, you may ask. First and foremost, the creator of the brand has more than 30 years of experience in the sports line. And, not only do they sell racket equipment, but they also design the equipment themselves. And, they also design equipment for other well-known brands in the world. And, now they have decided to apply their expertise into the field of pickleball and anchor a Malaysian-own brand of pickleball paddles.
Secondly, all Osone paddles are made according to the guidelines and specifications set by the USA Pickleball Association. From materials used, to paddles shapes and sizes, everything is made according to the set standards. As pickleball is a relatively new sports in this world, a lot of things are still being fine-tuned, especially in terms of rules and guidelines enforcement. Therefore, certain companies might take advantage of this situation by producing products that are below standards.
In addition, Osone paddles fill the void between the non-brands and the well-known brands. The non-brands refer to those produced and sold by OEM factories. These are usually very cheap ones, but there might be inconsistencies in their product quality and performance. When you buy the same product a second time, the specs might be slightly different or they might not perform the same as the first time. As the saying goes ,"you get what you pay for." On the other end of the spectrum, there are the branded ones. These can be the premium ones like Selkirk and Joola, or the slightly cheaper ones like ProKennex or Harrow. Regardless, they are usually priced above MY200 for a fiberglass paddle and above MYR500 for a carbon fiber one. And, all of them all foreign brands. So, on one hand, you have the very cheap but inconsistent products and on the other, very reliable but also very expensive products.
This is where Osone comes in. Osone paddles are not as expensive as the branded ones but at the same time, their qualities are more consistent and reliable than the very cheap ones. Therefore, they fulfill the needs of those players who want a reliable and good quality paddle, and yet they do not want to burn a hole in their pockets. Osone fiberglass beginner paddles cost between MYR150 to MYR179 while their competition-level ones are not more than MYR500. Let's wish Osone all the best and hopefully, their success will help propel pickleball to greater heights in Malaysia. Perhaps one day, we will see more Malaysian brands dominate the pickleball market, the same way Apacs, Felet and Protech do in the local badminton market.
