UAE club pickleball: Al Dhannah's couples tournament, an 85-player club event and Dubai's Pink October ladies' day

Pickleball in the United Arab Emirates is not only a story about big venues and imported pros. In the past two weeks, three community events reported by Filipino-run outlets show how the sport is spreading at club level: a new club in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region held two tournaments back to back, and a group in Dubai ran a ladies' event for breast cancer awareness. None of these were pro-tour events, and all of them were run by volunteers.

A club that started with two couples

Al Dhannah Pickleball Club (ADPC) plays in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region. According to The Global Filipino Magazine (TGFM), the club was formed in June 2026 by two couples. By October 9 to 11, 2026, it was running an all-levels tournament with 85 registered players across eight divisions. Organizers estimated that more than 150 people, spectators included, passed through the venue over the three days.

Club head and founder Elyn Sagun told the outlet she started the group for several reasons. Pickleball was gaining popularity, her husband Owen Sagun loves sports, she enjoys organizing events, and she wanted a game that parents and children could take up together. Owen Sagun now serves as the club's head coach.

The organizers did not only run the event. Elyn Sagun and Rubyjane Villareyes, the tournament head, won the women's advanced title together. The men's advanced crown went to Owen Jasper Sagun and Orlan Leal. In the intermediate brackets, Ana Sola Bosita and Meingeil Montanez won the women's division, and Mohsin Ali and Julius Miranda won the men's.

The beginner divisions went to Milagine Reli and Negelle Andres (women) and to Raphael Shane Dela Cruz and Fikhry Septian (men). Aaliyah Shekaina Villareyes and Jad Lyander Dayao won the youth category, and Rundrei Ysmael Abaco and Quinzel Bee Guevarra topped the kids' division. Every champion received a gold medal.

Free courts and local sponsors

The venue matters as much as the results. The report says the venue has seven courts that ADNOC housing residents can use free of charge. ADNOC Housing and Primal let the club use the courts free of charge for the events as well, which removes the biggest cost a new club normally faces: court rental.

Prizes came from small local businesses. TGFM lists a pickleball bag from Thai Oasis, paddles from Ralli Republic, sports goods from Z Shop and beauty products from Syduction International. Remal Hotel, Urban Trends, Eternity Salon, Ruwais Glamtique and Forza Indoor Padel provided vouchers. Several other small businesses also backed the event.

The club meets every night from 6 to 10 p.m. at the courts near Thai Oasis restaurant, and anyone interested can contact the club admin through the club's Facebook page, according to the same report. That nightly open play is the real engine of a club this young: a tournament is a showcase, but a regular court is what turns beginners into members.

The UAE's first couples tournament, according to organizers

One week after the all-levels event, ADPC ran something different. From October 16 to 18, 2026, 18 husband-and-wife teams played a couples tournament at the ADNOC Housing courts in Al Dhannah City. The club's organizers believe it is the first event of its kind in the UAE. That is the organizers' claim as reported by TGFM, and Dink Feed has not independently verified it.

The Sagun couple won gold, the Dela Cruz couple took silver and the Tayab couple won bronze. Prizes went beyond the podium: the Montanez couple was named Best Dressed Couple, the De Castro couple Most Energetic Couple, and the Dayao couple Picture Perfect Couple. The Miranda couple won the Social Media Couple award for collecting the most likes online. Organizers joked that no arguments, breakups or separations were reported.

The format fits the club's origin. It began with two married couples, and a couples event is a natural way to bring in partners who might otherwise watch from the side. Elyn Sagun has said she wants whole families playing the same sport, and a tournament where spouses are teammates, not opponents, supports that goal.

The event was staffed by volunteers. Ken Carlos was tournament head and Rubyjane Villareyes ran registration. Korei Carlos and Lorda Dayao handled the technical side, Kitty Salas led the food committee and Galbi was treasurer. Five named referees, John de Guzman, Eric Mendoza, Marvin Salas, Victor Villareyes and Anthony Tayab, officiated matches.

Pink October in Dubai

In Dubai, a different kind of event ran the same week. The Filipino Times reported that the Al Nahda Picklers community held its second Ladies Tournament at Sheffield Private School, dedicated to Pink October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The group's statement, quoted by the outlet, said the event supported the campaign and used the slogan "Better to be early than late!" as a reminder to schedule routine health check-ups.

Player Gerlie Saldivar told the outlet that joining the tournament felt like being part of something bigger than playing pickleball, and that she was happy to help raise awareness. The report credits organizers identified as Dale (head committee) and Juds (committee) for running the event. It does not publish results, a player count or any fundraising figure, so there is nothing to report on those points.

What these events say about club pickleball in the Gulf

Taken together, the three reports describe a pattern that shows up in many new pickleball communities. A small group starts playing in a shared residential space. Open play happens every night. A first tournament follows within months, then a second with a twist, and local businesses sponsor prizes in return for visibility. The cost of a typical entry is also low: ADPC's organizers said a planned weekly open-play tournament would charge a registration fee of AED 20 per player, with half going to winners and half to club funds.

That last detail comes from TGFM's earlier report on the all-levels event, and it was described as a plan, not a confirmed schedule. The club said it wants to hold open-play tournaments regularly, probably every weekend.

These are community reports from outlets that cover the Filipino community abroad, and each was supplied by the organizers. Numbers such as the 85 players and the 150 attendees are organizer estimates. They do not describe the whole UAE scene, where larger venues, professional events and international visitors also exist. What they show is that the base of the sport is growing at neighborhood level, from the bottom up, with free courts, volunteer referees and sponsor vouchers.

For anyone who wants to start something similar, the practical lessons are simple. Find a court that costs nothing or very little. Hold open play at the same time every night so newcomers know when to show up. Run a small tournament early, give every division a medal, and add fun awards. And give sponsors something real to do, such as donating prizes, rather than asking only for money.

Sources

• The Global Filipino Magazine - Al Dhannah pickleball club crowns champions in eight divisions after three-day tournament
• The Global Filipino Magazine - 18 married couples face off in what organizers call the UAE's first couples pickleball tournament
• The Filipino Times - Serving Up Hope: Al Nahda Picklers Rally for Breast Cancer Awareness in Dubai

Sources checked 20 Oct 2026. Header image is illustrative, not a photo of the events described.