The Parañaque Titans. Handout photo
MANILA — Leander Paez Lazaro and Sarah Jane Restauro Lim headline the Parañaque Titans' ten-athlete roster that will see action in the inaugural season of the Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour (MPPT).
Joining them are: Ruben Antonio Gonzales Jr., Nik Alessandro R. Isagan, Fatima Ayesha J. Amirul, Jessica Marie L. Agra, Christian Josua "CJ" A. Luna, Matt Daniel H. Navarro, Danica Calma Bautista, and Mikhyla Julianne E. Cruz.
Founded by boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, the five-leg MPPT tour tips off October 3-4 in Angeles City, Pampanga, with the winning squad on each leg taking home P1 million.
READ: 12 teams to battle in inaugural Maharlika Pilipinas Pickleball Tour
Parañaque is set on making its case as a contender from leg one.
Lazaro is one of the Philippines' most decorated pickleball players and a mainstay of the national team, having won gold at the Pickleball Viet Open and is consistently ranked among the country's top men's doubles and mixed doubles players.
Lim has been widely acknowledged as the Philippines' top female pickleball player and one of the sport's most recognized advocates in the country. A former competitive tennis player with nearly two decades on court, Lim is tipped championship composure and leadership to the Titans' women's lineup.
Gonzales is a former Davis Cup tennis representative and two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist. Agra, meanwhile, is the Philippines' No. 1-ranked padel player and an international pickleball medalist with podium finishes in Hanoi and Macau.
Isagan was part of the Philippine squad that swept Vietnam 3-0 to capture the inaugural Pickleball Champions League Asia title in Shenzhen, while Amirul was Pickleball Champions League Asia champion and joint MVP of the 2025 Shenzhen finals.
Luna is also tournament champion and recognized trailblazer in the local pickleball community and Navarro is the youngest in the league and a rising force in Manila's competitive Open division.
A familiar name across Luzon's regional pickleball circuit, Bautista’s tenacity and sharp court awareness have made her a fixture in competitive play while Cruz is the Titans' breakout talent who will represent the next generation of Filipino pickleball players.
"We didn't just want good players. We went after the best of the best, because that's what wearing the Titans name demands. This is a group that competes for each other, point after point, match after match," the team's management said during its launch.
The Titans are backed by team owners Tina Mariano, Jeff Tin, Long Kuan, and Atty. Albert Agra, with the team powered by Polland Hopia, the Filipino-Chinese pastry brand, alongside Tela Athletics and Tela Park.