More than $100,000 in prizes will be awarded at the first OCBC-Great Eastern Pickleball Open, scheduled to take place from October 23 to 25 at The Kallang’s OCBC Arena. Organizers expect nearly 1,600 participants to compete in what is being billed as one of Southeast Asia’s largest pickleball tournaments.
The event will feature doubles matches across four categories: novice, open, the Bank of Singapore Corporate Challenge, and the invite-only Bank of Singapore Invitational Championship. Teams in any gender combination are eligible to enter. The novice category is designed for players with fewer than two years of experience who have not previously won a medal, with cash prizes of $900, $6,000 in car rental credits, wellness passes, and Joola paddles awarded to the winners. The open category, which welcomes players of all skill levels, will offer $1,500 in cash and $16,000 in car rental credits, along with similar wellness perks and equipment.
Matches leading up to the semi-finals will be contested under a rally-scoring system to 21 points in a single set, while the third-place playoff and final will use a best-of-three sets format with each set played to 15 points. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stages.
In addition to the tournament, OCBC has announced a two-year partnership with Care Corner Seniors Services to introduce pickleball to seniors. The initiative aims to provide free training for 100 seniors over two years, with 50 participants enrolled each year in a four-month program consisting of 10 sessions held at dual-use courts along the Great Eastern Promenade near the National Stadium.
Among the inaugural group is 74-year-old Ho Soo Hock, who expressed enthusiasm about learning the sport. “I’ve seen people playing pickleball, so I was excited to finally try it with my friends. It is a lot of fun learning a new sport together and a great way to stay active while meeting new people,” he said. Ho credited the patient and encouraging coaching for helping build his confidence and improve his skills. Up to 10 seniors from this cohort will be selected by their instructors to compete in the novice category at the upcoming tournament. Training commenced on July 7 and will culminate in a sports day event hosted by Care Corner on November 11.
This senior engagement program forms part of OCBC’s SeniorCare Programme, under which the bank has committed over $2 million since 2025 to support more than 180,000 seniors aged 60 and above. OCBC’s head of group brand and communications, Koh Ching Ching, highlighted strong public interest in previous OCBC-Great Eastern Pickleball Series workshops. “Adult workshops fill up within days of opening,” she noted, adding optimism for similarly strong demand for tournament participation slots.
Registration for the tournament opened at noon on July 27, with early bird pricing set at $132 per team through August 31. Standard registration fees of $148 will apply from September 1 until the registration deadline on October 5. Interested players can register at www.ocbcgreatestpickleball.com.