Chinachem Group promotes pickleball to cultivate a sporty lifestyle in the community

The CCG Pickleball Challenge 2026, Hong Kong’s first large-scale pickleball tournament staged in a shopping mall, is underway at D•PARK.

Running for ten consecutive days during Easter from 3-12 April, the competition attracted over 1,000 players in over 1,200 matches spanning 5 to 64 years old at varying skill levels, from beginner to advanced. It concludes with a fun Pickleball Carnival from 11-12 April, featuring DIY workshops, interactive game booths and photo spots for families, kids and pickleball enthusiasts.

 The event follows last year’s successful “CCG Tsuen Wan Games” that transformed D•PARK shopping mall into a sports field for four days with an array of interactive sports activities, sports performances and over 40 workshops, attracting over 10,000 participants including children and seniors. This fully embodies the spirit of the saying “There are no winners or losers in sports; anyone willing to take the first step becomes their own champion”.

This year, pickleball is chosen with for its ease of learning and high interactiveness. “It combines the characteristics of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, but with a light racket and less impact, making it suitable for people of any age, even those who do not regularly do exercise,” says Amy Wu, Director of Corporate Communications, Chinachem Group (CCG).

These sports events are made possible in a shopping mall, thanks to CCG’s placemaking efforts to create a meaningful, functional and attractive environment that engages the community of Tsuen Wan. “This stems from Chinachem’s belief that the value of a shopping mall lies not only in its architecture, but also in the daily connections and shared memories built between people,” Wu explains.

“We hope to continue the same spirit of inclusion, using sports as a bridge to promote community cohesion. We believe that sports bring joy and energy, making it an ideal medium for community inclusion,” she adds.

“Imagine, decades from now, Tsuen Wan residents will have a shared memory of playing pickleball at D•PARK with family, friends and classmates!” she ponders.

Wu herself started playing pickleball over a year ago and gained first-hand experience on the benefits of exercise. “Sports can easily initiate conversations and allow me to get to know my colleagues better. I discovered that many of my colleagues love sports. We often play pickleball before work and work out in the gym during lunchtime. Sports can indeed connect people.”

Currently, D•PARK has four indoor pickleball courts open to the public. The atrium is designed to create a “spectator area”, sharing the excitement and attracting participation. “We make good use of the generous open public space of the mall, transforming it into community sports platforms and lowering the barriers to access sports to show everyone that sports can be a part of daily life,” she says.

D•PARK is adjacent to several large residential estates with convenient transport connections. “After work, residents need not travel far for a game; parents can bring their children over; and the elderly can participate more easily, helping them to integrate sports into daily life,” she notes.

Apart from large-scale indoor competitions, D•PARK also organizes regular community sports activities such as hiking and running. Moving forward, she reveals that D•PARK will open more pickleball courts to meet the growing demand for recreational and sports facilities in the area.