UPA ASIA TRAILBLAZERS SEASON 2: CLASS OF 2026 ANNOUNCED
| January 14, 2026
The wait is over. The UPA Asia Trailblazers Program Season 2 selections are out, and the region’s top talent are about to take the next step in their professional careers.
Following an intensive pre-selection training camp at Infinity Academy in December, UPA Asia has announced the Class of 2026.
Eight athletes have been selected as Trailblazers, earning two-year UPA Asia Pro Contracts and six-week immersions in America’s pickleball heartland. They will train under top coaches at world-class facilities, receive comprehensive media training, and compete on the Carvana PPA Tour alongside the sport’s best. The program provides everything these athletes need to develop their skills, build their profiles, and thrive at the highest level of professional pickleball.
A further eight athletes have been named Rising Stars, securing one-year UPA Asia Pro Contracts with comprehensive athlete pathway assistance, media training, and development support under expert guidance as they establish themselves on the PPA Tour Asia.
Trailblazers
- Tya Karina Aditya (INA)
- Julian Chow (HKG)
- Mihae Kwon (KOR)
- Dang Ngo (VIE)
- Tang Nok Yiu (HKG)
- Syed Uzair (MAS)
- Colin Wong (MAS)
- Anni Xie (CHN)
Rising Stars
- Timothy Foo (MAS)
- Yunqi He (CHN)
- Paranya Jareonvongrayab (THA)
- Pei-Yu Lai (TPE)
- Longsheng Liu (CHN)
- Christian Josua Luna (PHI)
- Anh Hoang Nguyen (VIE)
- Seina Shima (JPN)
Watch the Class of 2026 take the courts in Asia and the USA over the coming months as they’re locked in and ready to compete.
