The sound of a plastic ball with a hole in it was heard bouncing loudly on the basketball court floor of the Faculty of Psychology, University of Indonesia. That afternoon, about 20 people gathered. There were students, lecturers, retirees, and cross-field professionals who happened to be visiting.

Everyone seemed enthusiastic about holding a paddle, as the sport's up-and-coming racket is called. They laughed in between rallies, sometimes stopping to chat or exchange jokes.

This is no ordinary sight. But for the UI Pickleball Community, it's a daily occurrence since the sport, which combines tennis, ping pong and badminton, was introduced on campus in late 2022.

In a short period of time, what was once a community of just four people has now grown to more than 260 active members connected via WhatsApp.

"Initially, we just played for health, but over time it became a place to meet colleagues, alumni, and even new acquaintances from abroad," said Hamdi Muluk, Professor of Political Psychology at UI who is the main initiator of pickleball at UI.

At first glance, pickleball does remind us of tennis with a net height of 86 cm or slightly shorter than tennis. While the size of the field is the same as badminton which measures 6.1 meters x 13.41 meters.

This game racket is called paddle because it looks like a boat oar. The handle is short like a ping-pong racket. There are no strings in the pickleball padlle, only solid materials derived from wood or composite materials so that it feels light and easy to use.

While the pickleball ball itself is made of plastic with 26 holes. The size of the ball is slightly larger than the size of a tennis ball, and usually comes with striking colors such as yellow, orange, and green.

The plastic material, according to Hamdi, produces a lower bounce and slower movement, making the sport ideal for all ages and fitness levels, including those who are just starting out.

In Indonesia itself, pickleball only began to be recognized in 2019. But lately, interest has jumped significantly. The number of players is now estimated to exceed 5,000 people, spread across 34 provinces.

Not only because the games are fun and quick to learn, but also because they are inclusive and friendly for all ages.

"We have members in their 20s to over 60s. We also often play with expats who happen to be in Depok," Hamdi adds.

In fact, pickleball was invented in 1965 as a children's backyard game in the United States, on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. In 2022, pickleball was named the official state sport of Washington.

Cross-professional Networking

For many professionals and workers, pickleball is unique because besides being healthy, it is also considered less tiring. In between, it is often even a cross-professional meeting space.

"In between games, we chat about work, exchange contacts, or just share news. It feels more fluid than an official meeting," Hamdi says, adding that it's not uncommon to meet new business contacts in the field.

The cost is also relatively affordable. A set of locally made paddles can be obtained for Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000. The plastic ball lasts for more than two months, while the field is simply made in a basketball, badminton, or open space with a flat surface.

One of the pickleball fans is Eka Oktavia Sari. The staff of the doctoral study program at the UI Faculty of Psychology admitted that she used to actively play badminton. However, as she got older, the fast rhythm of badminton that requires a lot of running felt increasingly difficult.

"Now I can't run around like I used to," she says with a chuckle.

The choice fell to pickleball, a sport that he calls 'easy and fun' even though it still makes you sweat.

"Even though it looks relaxing, there is still high impact, but low effort. So you still feel healthy," says Eka.

For him, the appeal of pickleball goes beyond the physical to the mental and mental.

"The focus is on togetherness, having fun together. The sports minister is also in the group, yesterday during the tournament I met athletes, even international athletes. I can get to know many people," he said.

"From professional athletes to professors are on the same field. But that's where the fun is. It's also good for networking, and the cool thing is, even though they are already national athletes, they still want to teach us," Eka added.

Breaking Records in National Tournaments

The peak of this enthusiasm was seen in early February 2025. At that time, Balairung UI, which is usually used for graduation or campus events, was transformed into a pickleball arena. The result was surprising, the number of participants exceeded 600 people, which Prof. Hamdi called 'quietly breaking the national record' for pickleball in Indonesia.

"Although officially we say it's a national tournament, I think it's close to the international level. We have more than 120 matches," Hamdi said.

This tournament was not only busy in terms of quantity, but also unique in terms of format. There is an open category that has no age limit, as well as age categories such as 35 years and above, 40 years and above, and even 50 years and above.

"We can't compare it to golf where the prizes can be hundreds of millions of rupiah. In pickleball, sponsorship is also still limited because it is not as popular as other sports," Hamdi said.

Even so, 600 participants in one tournament is proof that pickleball has great appeal, especially for those looking for a fun, relatively cheap, and all-ages-friendly sport.

Pickleball Terrorist

Because of his enthusiasm to spread this sport, Hamdi was even nicknamed ' pickleball terrorist ' by some of his colleagues because he always invited everyone he met to try this game. He got this nickname because he teaches a course on the psychology of terrorism at UI.

Not only "terrorizing" students and fellow lecturers, Hamdi's enthusiasm reached the ears of Prof. Dr. Budi Wiweko, SpOG(K), MPH, Int. Aff. RANZCOG, Chair of the Academic Senate for the period 2024-2029.

That last week of June 2024, Budi Wiweko, also known as Prof. Iko, was present playing pickleball on the Psychology basketball court for more than half an hour without stopping. It was as if this sport had captivated him at the first meeting.

"This is one of the new sports that is not difficult to play, and very fun," said Budi Wiweko giving his impression.

Budi Wiweko also regularly comes to the Faculty of Psychology field every week. There is actually no regular schedule, but members of the UI pickleball community generally practice three times a week, namely on Wednesday morning, Friday morning, and Saturday afternoon.

All you have to do is bring your own gym clothes and shoes. For those without equipment, paddles and balls are provided. Everything is provided free of charge.

"The sports activity is good, the aerobics are good, not too energy-consuming, and not dangerous for the elderly. There is also a federation in Indonesia and this sport will also participate in the 2024 PON exhibition. UI certainly wants to participate in socializing this sport," he continued.

Cak Susilo, Secretary General of the Indonesian Pickleball Federation, emphasized this'easy and fun' character as the main advantage of pickleball.

"I teach people to play for one minute, they can immediately rally. It's fun, it's addictive," he says.

The same thing was also said by Agus Priadi, Field Coordinator of UI Pickleball Community. Although at first glance similar to tennis or badminton, pickleball has unique rules that actually become its attraction.

"The court is only one line, the way to serve is also different: it must be underhand, it can't be like tennis or badminton," explained Agus Priadi, UI Pickleball Community Field Coordinator.

The scoring is also interesting. "The counting is similar to badminton, but not directly rally points; there is a system of serving the first and second players before moving points to the opponent," he adds.

These simple rules are what make pickleball quick for beginners to learn, still fun, but not too tiring.

How Pickleball differs from Tennis or Padel

According to Hamdi Muluk, here are the advantages of Pickleball compared to Padel or Tennis:

• Get closer to the general public, not just a trend
• Unlike padel, which is expensive in terms of cost, pickleball is considered to be more inclusive, low impact game patterns that are easily accepted widely.
• Pickleball has a versatility that is hard to compete with padel. The court is simpler, can be made anywhere such as campus halls, home yards, or neighborhood courts, without the need to use thick glass.
• The largest segmentation of pickleball fans is over 40 years old
• Equipment is cheap. One pickleball rubber ball costs Rp 25 thousand. While the paddle, as the racket is called, can be produced by yourself.

One thing that is still lacking, said Hamdi, is a public figure who is the 'face' of pickleball.

"If there was one 'Raffi Ahmad' playing pickleball, it would immediately boom," Hamdi joked with a laugh.

Even so, pickleball grew not because of a momentary sensation, but for the more substantial reason of connecting across generations, professions, and backgrounds in a relaxed, unforced atmosphere.

He doesn't just bring paddles and balls together, he brings people together, from businessmen, to retirees, to professionals, to students, to expatriates, in a small field that feels intimate, equal, and full of laughter.

"It's not about winning or losing. It's about relationships, brotherhood and health," says Hamdi.