A 28-hour pickleball marathon in Subang Jaya has turned the fast-growing sport into a force for good, raising more than RM20,000 for the local community ambulance service while helping bring a potentially life-saving AED to the SS15 community hall.
Key Community Triumphs:
- RM20,000+ raised through the Pickleball Charity Marathon for the Subang Jaya Community Ambulance (SJ Beacon).
- A new automated external defibrillator (AED) was unveiled at the SS15 community hall.
- Residents also took part in CPR and AED training, gaining practical skills for emergencies.
- SJ Beacon handles 90-100 calls a month, with the ambulance service costing around RM25,000 monthly to operate.
Pickleball Marathon Puts Community First
Organised through the office of MBSJ councillor Ken Chia, together with MySJClub and SJ Beacon, the Pickleball Charity Marathon was about much more than competing on the court.
The event also marked the unveiling of a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at the SS15 community hall, while CPR and AED training sessions gave residents the knowledge to respond when every second matters.
Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin praised the initiative, highlighting how the community had identified a genuine need and paired the equipment with the training required to use it effectively.
From Pickleball to a Healthier Community
For Chia, the event also reflects pickleball's wider impact on health and community connection. He has lost 18kg over the past year through playing the sport and believes it has encouraged a healthier lifestyle while bringing residents together.
His connection to the AED project is particularly personal. Chia recalled a player collapsing during a game at the same hall, requiring a community ambulance to transport him to hospital. The new defibrillator now gives the venue an important emergency resource that was previously missing.
Supporting a Vital Local Ambulance Service
Teoh Teik Hoong of SJ Beacon said this was the organisation's first pickleball charity marathon and highlighted the importance of supporting a service that responds directly to the local community.
SJ Beacon handles around 90 to 100 calls every month and operates daily from 8am to 8pm. Running the service costs approximately RM25,000 a month, including staff salaries.
The organisation played an especially important role during the Covid-19 pandemic, while its broader mission remains to serve Subang Jaya and help ease the pressure on Health Ministry ambulance services.
With a new AED installed and more than RM20,000 raised, this pickleball marathon delivered a reminder that the sport's impact can stretch far beyond the scoreboard.
