Pickleball now a passion project for Amelia Henderson
PETALING JAYA : In addition to having millions of followers on
In addition to having millions of followers on
social media , Amelia Henderson – the striking actress and host of Indian-Scottish heritage who frequently graces Malaysian big and small screens – hosts her own podcast, '
Studio Sembang '.
Now, the Klang-born star of films such as 'Talentime', 'J2: J Retribusi', 'Pulau', and 'Blood Brothers: Bara Naga' is encouraging her fans and followers to embrace a healthy lifestyle through sports.
Like many Malaysians, the older of two siblings has taken a liking to pickleball, the popular paddle activity that combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton.
'I'm not really into going to the gym as it stresses me out. But when I play pickleball, I feel happy – I get to sweat and socialise, without even realising I'm actually exercising,' Henderson, 29, told FMT.
Her interest in sports doesn't come out of nowhere: she previously hosted sports programmes on Astro SuperSport, and also covered the US Open in 2022.
Henderson hopes Pickle Depot will become the go-to spot for those who wish to unwind and stay active.
So, when the opportunity came about, she didn't hesitate to venture into setting up a pickleball court with four business partners, including her younger brother.
Henderson describes Pickle Depot, located in a green lung in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, as an 'oasis in the city'.
'When I first step foot into this space, I saw huge potential – not just for a business, but to build a healthy and active community,' said the actress, who began her career as a model in commercials before branching out into acting with the sitcom 'Keluarga Adam'.
Henderson hopes Pickle Depot will become a destination of choice for those who wish to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and for the sport to serve as a form of therapy for those coping with daily stress.
Learn more about Pickle Depot here and on Instagram.
Pickle Depot
Jalan Strachan, Sentul West,
51100 Kuala Lumpur
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
31 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Hong Kong sees broad-based economic resilience under "One Country, Two Systems"
A near capacity crowd watches Arsenal take on Tottenham Hotspur at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium (July 31) HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 8 August 2025 - Last week, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government published a comprehensive report on the city's business environment, coinciding with the announcement of the city's advance estimates on economic performance in the second quarter of 2025. The report's analysis together with positive economic data accurately reflect Hong Kong's resilient business-friendly environment with strong appeal for companies and talent from around the the April-to-June period, Hong Kong recorded solid 3.1% year-on-year GDP growth. This 10consecutive quarter of economic expansion was supported by strong exports performance and improved domestic demand: total exports of goods recorded an increase of 11.5% over a year earlier, while private consumption expenditure increased by 1.9%.This solid broad-based performance could be vividly seen in the high number of visitors to the city, including tourists and business visitors drawn by an array of events across town ranging from trade fairs to cultural festivals to mega sports such event was the first Hong Kong Football Festival at the new Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP) which saw close to 100,000 football fans packing the Kai Tak Stadium over two match days featuring games between Liverpool and AC Milan followed by Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur. The crowd included the one-millionth spectator at the Kai Tak Stadium since it opened just five months Kong welcomed about 24 million visitors in the first half of 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 12%. Visitor arrivals from the Mainland saw a year-on-year increase of 10% while those from the rest of the world increased 17% over the same period last economic statistics fully endorse the analysis in the Government's 102-page "Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: Unique Strengths under 'One Country, Two Systems'". Under "One Country, Two Systems", Hong Kong is known for its robust legal and financial systems, simple and low tax regime, strategic location at the heart of Asia, advanced infrastructure, pool of top-notch talent, and high-quality professional services. With its close connectivity to leading global business centres, Hong Kong offers a dynamic, free and open, convenient and safe place for doing business, making it a preferred destination for corporate tourism services, developments in other sectors have been picking up in recent years, further boosting confidence in the local continued global uncertainties, the sentiment about Hong Kong's stock market has steadily improved. In the first half of 2025, the Hang Seng Index has risen by more than 4,000 points, registering an increase of about 20%.The amount of IPO fundraising reached over US$13.6 billion in the first six months of the year, placing Hong Kong in a leading position among major global exchanges. Vibrant IPO activities continued in July with nine IPOs raising more than US$2.3 overall investment expenditure increased further alongside the economic HKSAR Government's Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) has successfully attracted 84 strategic enterprises to set up or expand their operations in Hong Kong. It is expected that they will invest a total of around US$6.4 billion and create more than 20,000 jobs in Hong Kong in the coming few since January 2023, Invest Hong Kong has assisted more than 1,300 overseas and Mainland China companies to set up or expand their business in Hong Kong, bringing in foreign direct investment of more than US$20.3 to attract top talents and professionals from around the world are also paying dividends. Various talent attraction schemes have received nearly 500,000 applications with nearly 330,000 of them approved and almost 220,000 talents already arrived in Hong lingering uncertainties in the external environment, the HKSAR Government will continue striving to promote economic growth on different fronts and make the most of the city's longstanding and unique "One Country, Two Systems" advantages to maintain the city's reputation as a resilient, open, free and competitive #hongkong #brandhongkong #asiasworldcity #economicgrowth #business The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Free Malaysia Today
12 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
MP urges stronger support for arts, cites South Korea's cultural success
Syerleena Abdul Rashid called for incentives to attract international artistes and productions, and for the government to prioritise protection for Malaysians in the creative industry. KUALA LUMPUR : A government MP has called for stronger institutional and financial support for the creative industry, urging the government to emulate countries such as South Korea that have built global influence through cultural exports. Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) said Malaysian artistes were still forced to plead for what should be rightfully theirs. 'This is not just about entertainment, this is about our national narrative, cultural identity, and economic future,' she said during the debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat today. Syerleena cited the case of comedian Amir Raja Lawak, who had to publicly appeal to a local broadcaster for RM18,000 in overdue payments to fund his father's cancer treatment. 'This is a matter of life and death. Why should someone who has entertained us for years have to beg on social media?' she said. She said the incident reflected broader structural issues in the local arts ecosystem, where many creative people lacked formal protection under the Employees Provident Fund and Social Security Organisation, as well as fair payment terms. 'Musicians are paid with 'exposure', writers are sidelined, and independent filmmakers face biased screening policies. Yet we call them our cultural heritage,' she said. Syerleena pointed to examples abroad, including South Korea's K-pop and K-drama industries, and Thailand's tourism boom following an HBO series, saying such outcomes were driven by strategic government policies. 'South Korea didn't achieve the Korean wave by chance. These are deliberate strategies. What is Malaysia's plan?' she said. She called for incentives to attract international artistes and productions, while urging the government to prioritise protection for local creative people, enforce timely payments, and support grassroots infrastructure. Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari had also pushed for greater government backing for the creative sector under the 13MP, saying it must be elevated to global standards. Amirudin (PH-Gombak) told the Dewan Rakyat that countries such as South Korea invested heavily in content development and adopted structured policies to build cultural influence. He also cited South Korea's 2011 Masterplan for the Promotion of the Content Industry, noting that Malaysia lacked a comparable roadmap for the creative sector.
Free Malaysia Today
12 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Awesome TV sues 3 local celebrities for defamation
Awesome TV said all content aired on its channel was produced by external production houses, and that contractual and payment matters were the responsibility of those companies. PETALING JAYA : Awesome TV has filed a defamation suit against three local celebrities over allegations on social media that the broadcaster failed to pay for their appearances on its programmes. The suit, filed through law firm Shafie & Co, names Amirullah Azmi, better known as Amir Raja Lawak; Ikhtiarudin Naina Mohamad (Mamak Puteh); and Abu Musarrif Abu Bakar (Abu Mamu) as defendants. In a statement, Awesome TV said all content aired on its channel was produced by external production houses, and that contractual and payment matters involving talent were the responsibility of those companies. It said the alleged defamatory statements has damaged the company's image and reputation. Awesome TV also criticised Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid for raising the matter in Parliament without verifying the facts, saying her remarks had caused misunderstandings and misrepresented the broadcaster. 'As an elected representative, she should have investigated the matter thoroughly before issuing any statements,' it said. The company added that it takes a serious view of any baseless claims or attempts to tarnish its reputation, and will defend its rights through legal channels. Yesterday, Syerleena called for stronger institutional and financial support for the creative industry, urging the government to emulate countries like South Korea, which have gained global influence through cultural exports. She told the Dewan Rakyat that Malaysian artistes were still being forced to plead for what should be rightfully theirs. She cited Amirullah's case, saying he had to publicly appeal to a local broadcaster for RM18,000 in overdue payments to help cover his father's cancer treatment.
