Manila, Sept. 14 -- The Philippine Sports Commission has pledged support to Dumaguete City, which is rapidly carving its identity as the pickleball capital of the Philippines.

With more than 300 courts spread across the city and thousands more throughout Negros Oriental, the sport has become a vibrant part of community life, uniting generations, families and neighborhoods.

PSC Chair John Patrick Gregorio said the support will ensure that Dumaguete's rise in pickleball is matched by the development of world-class facilities for football, track and field, archery, and other disciplines.

"This is how we build pathways from grassroots to gold, and from gold to greatness," Gregorio said.

"What we see here in Dumaguete could be a model of h...