Alumni Industry Series | Wayman Ho and Albert Fung (EMBA 2014) join forces to build a new arena for pickleball

“In Hong Kong’s mature market, finding a true Blue Ocean is no mean feat, but we discovered that pickleball is precisely that promising, uncontested frontier,” say Wayman Ho and Albert Fung (EMBA 2014). Bonded anew by their enthusiasm for the sport, they established a strong foothold in this emerging sector. Both are confident that its rising appeal and the fresh drive of the younger generation will soon enable the city to nurture professional athletes of its own.

Discovering the appeal of pickleball

Wayman, with over 20 years in sportswear manufacturing and a lifelong passion for tennis, and Albert, a real estate investment professional who enjoys basketball and swimming, were both introduced to pickleball by friends a few years ago. “I only started playing in 2023, when few had even heard of it,” Albert recalls. “My research revealed that, beyond North America, only Vietnam and Malaysia had meaningful traction in Asia at the time.”

Wayman (left) and Albert (right) anticipate that within eight to ten years, Hong Kong could cultivate elite athletes capable of competing on the global stage.

Merging tennis, badminton, and table tennis, pickleball offers a low-barrier, easy-to-learn recreational sport option for all ages. After experiencing it firsthand, both admit they were completely hooked. “It doesn’t demand the stamina of tennis, the footwork of badminton, or the spin techniques of table tennis,” explains Wayman, “As long as you’re willing to pick up the paddle, anyone can enjoy the game.” Albert adds a delightful observation: several retired ladies, once regular mahjong companions, have become “paddle mates”, meeting weekly for matches. For them – and many others – pickleball has evolved into a relaxed, enjoyable way to socialise and stay active.

The pivotal moment that inspired them to take the leap came when they met Steve Kuhn, founder of Major League Pickleball in the United States. Kuhn had set the ambitious “40 by 30” target — to have 40 million Americans playing pickleball by 2030. Remarkably, that goal was achieved within just four years, revealing to Wayman and Albert the immense potential and business opportunity behind the sport.

Whether in business or on the court, they are the perfect duo

“In the Asian market, Hong Kong may have got off to a later start, but that very lag makes pickleball here a true Blue Ocean,” Albert emphasises. Two to three years ago, amid Hong Kong’s interest-rate-hike cycle and a cooling property market, developers are keen to boost project value with new elements — creating the ideal window for development. Albert began scouting venues and building indoor courts across districts, while Wayman drove business strategy and market growth through diverse training programmes and competitions to popularise the sport.

Today, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has taken the lead by opening selected outdoor badminton courts for free public use in pickleball and other activities, while several shopping malls have installed dedicated courts. Educational institutions and corporations are rolling out courses for students and staff, and international tournaments are being staged in Hong Kong one after another. The city’s pickleball fever is steadily on the rise, with Wayman and Albert seeing a full local ecosystem forming. Confident in the future, they note early exposure among the younger generations is already yielding emerging talent – with strong potential, in eight to ten years, to produce internationally competitive elite athletes.

From classmates to partners

The duo have had their paths first crossed at CUHK Business School. “We met every week,” recalls Albert, then in his early thirties and among the younger EMBA classmates. “I later realised that professor had deliberately placed me in the same group as Wayman and other more experienced industry practitioners, so they could look out for me. That experience taught me to think from a ‘boss’s perspective’ and to understand their decision making process.” Wayman also admits he gained much from the programme: “What impressed me most was that guest speakers didn’t just talk about success, but shared invaluable lessons from failure.” After graduation, they stayed connected with EMBA alumni across cohorts, building a foundation of trust that eventually seeded today’s partnership and propelled them forward.

The two first bonded as group mates in the EMBA programme, forging a friendship that has endured for many years (Photo courtesy of the interviewees)

Fun fact: Why is it called Pickleball?

The name “pickleball” has nothing to do with food – there are primarily two accounts of how the name originated. One dates back to 1965, when founder Joel Pritchard’s family dog, Pickle, would always chase after a ball, inspiring the name. The other comes from his wife, who likened the sport’s mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis to a “pickle boat” in rowing, where crew members are drawn from different teams. The nickname stuck, perfectly capturing the sport’s hybrid nature.

Taking into account the differences between indoor and outdoor conditions, the pickleball with a harder build and smaller holes (right) provides greater wind resistance, making it better suited for outdoor play

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