A big leap for Kwok Khuen at Leapmotor KL Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Pickleball player Cheong Kwok Khuen sees himself as a semi-professional, yet a qualifying campaign at the Leapmotor Kuala Lumpur Cup has propelled him into the ranks of professionals. The Malaysian player was taken aback when he learned he would be competing in the pro main draw, an opportunity that allows him to face some of the established names on the Professional Pickleball Association Asia (PPA Asia) Tour.

Kwok Khuen confessed that he was not expecting to be in this position, as he always viewed himself as a semi-pro or open player. He expressed his gratitude for this opportunity to play in the Kuala Lumpur Cup. Kwok Khuen advanced to the men's singles main draw after defeating fellow Malaysian Ryan Lee 2-0 (11-4, 11-2) in the qualifiers, placing him against Vietnam's Nguyen Tien in the main draw.

Rather than aiming for a specific target, Kwok Khuen wants to take advantage of this chance to gain more recognition. He hopes to catch the attention of more people, as he feels he has often been overlooked. The main draw is not only about advancing in a tournament for Kwok Khuen, but also a chance to prove he can compete at this level.

He acknowledges inconsistency as one of the biggest obstacles in his journey, with a history of significant highs and lows. Kwok Khuen is working to improve his consistency. His campaign also included the men's doubles qualifiers, where he teamed up with Ryan. Despite losing 2-1 (11-9, 5-11, 7-11) to the American-Australian combination Prycen Haas-Robert Stirling, Kwok Khuen felt they performed better than expected.