Sri Lanka's racket-sports platform Padel Chief has introduced its inaugural SLAM25 Pickle tournament, applying its established ranking and tournament infrastructure to competitive Pickleball for the first time.
Padel Chief, a competitive racket-sports platform, has expanded into Pickleball with the launch of SLAM25 Pickle, its first tournament in the sport. The inaugural event took place on July 25 at Air Sports Club, where 13 players competed across three courts using a rotating-doubles format. The tournament represents the first application of Padel Chief's SLAM25 competition model—refined through more than 50 Padel tournaments—to a different racket sport.
The competition featured 13 rounds with constantly changing partnerships and opponents, designed to test player consistency across varied matchups. Matches were played to 11 points under rally scoring. Sahan emerged as the inaugural champion after finishing with 10 wins from 12 matches and a tournament-leading point differential of +50. Burhan completed the same win-loss record but with a +40 differential, securing second place, while Yoosuf finished third with nine victories and a +27 differential. The tight finish between Sahan and Burhan demonstrated the value of Padel Chief's ranking structure, which considers performance beyond simple win-loss records.
Padel Chief developed its platform around tournament administration, player ratings, draws, match tracking and competitive progression. The organisation indicated that Pickleball expansion had been part of its broader strategic plans from the outset. With more than 500 active Padel players already in its network, some of whom also compete in Pickleball or have expressed interest in the sport, significant crossover exists between the two communities.
The partnership with Air Sports Club will continue beyond the launch event, with SLAM25 Pickle scheduled as a weekly Tuesday night competition. Padel Chief is also pursuing affiliation with a globally recognised ranking platform, aiming to provide players a pathway towards international recognition. The weekly tournament structure is expected to establish a consistent competitive environment as Pickleball participation grows in Sri Lanka.