A pickleball club in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, celebrated its first year with a charity tournament on 31 October 2026, raising money for two Filipino women undergoing cancer treatment.
According to Pickleball News Asia, Da Pearl Pickleball – Al Ain staged its 1st Anniversary Charity Game for Kabayan Warriors on the outdoor courts of Al Ain University, with matches getting under way at 6 pm. All proceeds are going to Juliet Pacturan, who has breast cancer, and Lin Bullungan, who has leukaemia. The club intends to hand the money to both women in person.
The event was open to newcomers, with three divisions: Women's Lower Beginners, Men's Beginners and Women's Higher Beginners. The men's section also accepted pairs made up of one lower-intermediate and one beginner player. Each participant paid AED 100 to enter and received a complimentary event T-shirt, while the winners took home prizes.
Founder Earl Colubio said the beginner focus was deliberate, as most members are still relatively new to the game and he wanted them to gain tournament experience and confidence in a friendly setting.
Colubio first encountered pickleball during a trip home to the Philippines in 2025. On returning to Al Ain, he began playing in early October that year alongside his wife and two friends, Tytus and Rose Abella, forming what he describes as the city's first pickleball group. The club's name was borrowed from his basketball league.
Membership has expanded rapidly. The group had roughly 20 to 30 players two months after its launch, rising to between 50 and 80 active players by January 2026. It now has around 300. While most members are Filipino, the club also includes players of other nationalities, among them eight to 10 regular Emirati participants, with abilities ranging from first-timers to advanced.
Offering encouragement to other Filipinos in the UAE hoping to start similar initiatives, Colubio said: "Never underestimate the power of a small beginning."