ABS-CBN Foundation and Pickleball Hub successfully mounted the Perfect Match Pickleball Tournament, bringing together sport, community, and purpose in a one-day fundraising event.
Held on April 12, 2026, from 9 AM to 9 PM, the tournament gathered around 100 players who competed in an exciting lineup of doubles matches. The event featured three divisions; The Masters, The Prime, and The Next Gen, catering to different age groups and skill levels. A highlight of the day was the Kapamilya Celebrity Exhibition, exclusive to Kapamilya artists and sponsors.
Among those present were ABS-CBN Foundation Managing Director Roberta Lopez Feliciano, Pickleball Hub Co-Founder Rob Henares, and Tournament Director Pardner Azarcon. Kapamilya players who participated included Marc Solis, Tirso Cruz III, Director Andoy Ranay, Cherry Pie Picache, Maika Rivera, Nikki Valdez, and Jervis Manahan.
“At the Foundation now, we’re really making an effort to spread awareness about our advocacies, and pickleball is such a popular sport nowadays. So, it’s just a way to get people interested and to know about what we do. We want to do activities that will pull people in,” Lopez-Feliciano shared in an interview.
“Isa sa mga objectives namin dito sa Pickleball Hub is makatulong sa mga Pilipino. And this is our small little way [of doing that]. And since this is a growing sport, we can invite the players [to join] while the proceeds go directly to the Foundation,” Henares added.
[One of our objectives here at Pickleball Hub is to help Filipinos. This is our small way of doing that. And since this is a growing sport, we can invite players to join while the proceeds go directly to the Foundation.]
More than just a competition, the tournament served as a platform to support the Foundation’s key advocacies. Proceeds from the event will benefit programs on child protection and development (Bantay Bata 163), disaster response (Sagip Kapamilya), environmental conservation (Bantay Kalikasan), education initiatives (Programa Genio), and sustainable livelihood efforts (GaLing Pamayanan).
Through the Perfect Match Pickleball Tournament, players, partners, and supporters came together for advocacies that help the Filipino people.
