Preparations for the 1st ArenaPlus-KaTribu Pickleball Tournament are in full swing with its technical partner, Kent Octavo, promising an action-packed day of competition and camaraderie on 12 June at The Dink Lab Elite inside All Home in Kawit, Cavite.

During his guesting at Off the Court, the weekly sports show of DAILY TRIBUNE, last Thursday, Octavo expressed excitement over the first ever staging of the prestigious event, saying that they are expecting a huge turnout since pickleball is a sport that can be easy played by people from all walks of life.

He said unlike sports like tennis and badminton, where power and reflexes are key, pickleball requires players to stay patient and lob the ball strategically to score.

“I think, number one, it’s because it’s easy to learn because actually anyone can play it and all ages can play it, while the community is unique because everyone is united and everyone is happy,” said the 29-year-old Octavo, a pickleball coach and one of the owners of The Dink Lab facility.

“For me, the community is the reason why pickleball grew — not just our Dink Club, but the pickleball scene in the Philippines in general — because players keep coming back because of the community, not the court.”

Almost 300 players are expected to compete in the tourney that was branded as “Dink-dependence Day Showdown” as it coincides with the country’s 128th Independence Day Celebration.

Champions will a cash prize of P15,000 while first and second runners-up will take home P10,000 and P5,000 on top of medals, trophies and other premium rewards like hotel accommodations, food vouchers, and gift certificates. All participants will also receive competition shirts, snacks, drinks, and various freebies from event sponsors, including the Philippine Sports Commission and JC Premiere.

The Villar Foundation serves as the event’s benefactor, with additional support from the Department of Finance, as well as senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Mark Villar.

Registration is now ongoing. Interested players may scan the QR code found on DAILY TRIBUNE’s social media pages until 31 May.

With the demand for pickleball continuing to rise, Octavo said there are different levels of instruction depending on how serious a player wants to be about the sport.

“For beginners, personally as a coach, I prioritize teaching my students the forehand drive because it makes learning the service and return of service easier. After that, I teach the techniques and rules for serving and receiving, and then the scoring system of pickleball,” Octavo said.

“When it comes to competitive play, that’s another topic. My favorite thing to teach is mastering the first four shots in pickleball: the serve, the receive, the third-shot drive or drop, and then returning the drive or drop, especially the drive because that’s common at lower levels. When you master those, you have a better chance of winning.”