KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 -- Goh Liu Ying knows what it means to stand on the world stage.

An Olympic silver medallist and former badminton darling, she spent most of her life chasing glory under stadium lights and carrying the nation's hopes.

These days, her court looks a little different.

"I played two to three times a week before I gave birth, sometimes for three hours," she told Malay Mail in a recent interview.

But she wasn't talking about badminton - she was talking about pickleball.

The fast-growing sport, a mix of tennis, ping pong and badminton, has quietly gained a cult following in Malaysia's parks and community courts.

"You're asking a badminton player," Goh laughed when asked if it could rival her first love.

"Pickleball c...