Bacolod pickleball tournament offers PHP 1 million prize pool

BACOLOD CITY — The growing pickleball community in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental is gearing up for a major tournament offering a PHP 1 million total prize pool and drawing hundreds of players from across the country.

Richard Nagac, tournament manager and representative of the One Pickleball Tournament Organization (OPTA), said during a press briefing at Scarborough on Tuesday that the tournament, hosted by Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez, is more than a competition and is intended to celebrate community, talent and sportsmanship.

Nagac said the event is expected to make a significant impact on the local pickleball community by bringing athletes together to compete and promote the growing sport.

Dubbed the Benitez Million Pickleball Cup, the tournament is billed by organizers as the biggest pickleball event yet in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

Around 800 participants are expected, with players coming from Iloilo, Cebu, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Manila and other areas.

Registration has already closed, and organizers said walk-in participants will not be accepted.

The youngest registered player is a 16-year-old public school student, while the oldest is a 72-year-old male competitor in the Executive category.

Nagac said the tournament team will oversee the overall management of the games, including officiating and ensuring the smooth flow of competition.

Organizers will implement USA Pickleball rules throughout the tournament.

“We want to keep pickleball where it belongs,” Nagac said, emphasizing the organizers’ commitment to the values and lessons they have been teaching players.

Nagac also thanked Paddle City for serving as the official venue and the Benitez family for its leadership in bringing the tournament to Bacolod.

Charles Go, one of the co-incorporators, said the tournament will feature five categories: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, Executive 50+ and Open.

Three categories will be exclusive to specific divisions, while the other two will be open to eligible players.

The prize structure is as follows:

Beginner: PHP 20,000, PHP 15,000 and PHP 10,000.

Novice: PHP 30,000, PHP 20,000 and PHP 10,000.

Intermediate: PHP 40,000, PHP 30,000 and PHP 20,000.

Open: PHP 60,000, PHP 30,000 and PHP 20,000.

Executive 50+: PHP 50,000, PHP 30,000 and PHP 20,000.

The tournament will be held at Paddle City along Magsaysay Avenue, where 10 courts have been prepared for the competition.

Organizers said the event will feature men’s and women’s doubles across the different categories.

Dexter Telis, a co-incorporator, said the team is prepared for the tournament, including security and other operational requirements.

For safety and crowd management, spectators will be allowed inside the venue, but access to the actual playing areas will be restricted.

Organizers said only players involved in a match will be allowed inside the playing court area.

Details of live coverage of the tournament are also expected to be announced by organizers.

The event will also carry a community and wellness component through a partnership with Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) and its Mingo Meals nutrition program.

Organizers said the partnership aims to promote nutrition while reaching communities outside the usual urban areas.

Mingo Meals products are designed to be affordable and convenient, with servings priced at around PHP 10 each.

Of the PHP 800 registration fee, PHP 100 will go to NVC for Mingo Meals, which primarily targets malnourished children in some of the poorest communities of Negros Occidental.

Jet Pili, another co-incorporator, described the event as “not just pickleball, but with a purpose,” noting that a portion of the proceeds will support NVC.

Pili said the partnership demonstrates how pickleball events can bring together sports and community initiatives.

The tournament will not feature international players, with the competition focused on athletes from the Philippines.

Putting Negros on the pickleball map

Organizers said the tournament could help position Negros as a destination for pickleball players while promoting sports, wellness and community engagement.

Pili said the event represents an investment in sports and community development and expressed hope that it would help spread positivity around pickleball as the sport continues to grow.

Nagac said the organizing team is grateful to have been chosen to manage the tournament and views the event as an opportunity to support pickleball enthusiasts in Negros.

“We are ready now to serve,” Nagac said.

The tournament will run from Oct. 16 to 18 at Paddle City as part of Bacolod City’s 47th MassKara Festival.