Already the fastest growing sport in the country, pickleball — the racquet sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton — is set for a major breakthrough in the Philippines with the launch of the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT) later this year.

Similar to what he did eight years ago when he founded a regional basketball league known as the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, Filipino sports icon Manny Pacquiao is spearheading the efforts in putting up the MPPT, which is eyeing eight pioneering franchises for its initial rollout.

The MPPT will be launched as a professional league, to be sanctioned by the Games and Amusements Board, with Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao represented in the team-based, weekends-only event. The inaugural tour will feature a prize pool of no less than 5 million.

“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,” Pacquiao said.

“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 has also picked up the sport recently, playing it as a hobby together with his wife, Jinkee, in the gym in their General Santos City compound.