Lucena, Quezon Province — October 27, 2026 — Pickleball just got a whole lot more interesting in the Philippines. Smell My Pickleballs, the viral American brand turning heads — and noses — on courts across the United States, has officially arrived in the country, with Lucena-based entrepreneur Zetty Peñalosa named as the brand’s sole distributor in the Philippines.
The product is exactly what it sounds like: a tournament-regulation pickleball, infused with scent. The Philippine launch features three signature fragrances — Ocean Breeze Baseline, Lemon Lob, and Minty Drop Shot — each embedded directly into the plastic of the ball, releasing a subtle whiff every time it’s struck.
“The first time I heard the name, I burst out laughing — I honestly thought my boss was messing with me,” said Zetty, who serves as Executive Virtual Assistant to Rob Lloyd, co-founder of Smell My Pickleballs and Founder and CEO of an IT company. “But that reaction? That’s exactly the point. It’s a conversation starter before you even open the box.”
Rob, alongside co-founder and family medicine physician Tim Buckley, saw Zetty’s potential from the start. “He told me he thought he knew where to place me once the company was up and running,” she recalled. “He asked if I was up for selling it here in the Philippines.”
Zetty admits she hesitated. How do I sell this? I’m not an entrepreneur. Where do I even start? But as a self-described risk taker and dreamer — and having already been managing sales, marketing, and operations for the brand — she made the leap.
“Why shouldn’t I? If it’s selling in the US, why can’t I sell it in my own country — especially when I’ve been given the exclusive opportunity?” she said. “I believed in the product’s quality, its uniqueness, and its mission: making people laugh. Pickleball is booming here, and nothing like this exists yet.”
She’s right. With pickleball growing rapidly across Metro Manila, Laguna, Cebu, and beyond, Filipino players are hungry for fresh gear and fun experiences. Smell My Pickleballs delivers both — it’s a legitimate tournament ball with 40 holes, built to regulation standard, but with a scented twist that turns every serve into a ritual.
“Before you serve, you take a sniff — you center yourself, calm down, focus — and then you go for the shot,” as the founders describe it.
Products are now available in 3 ways:
- Via Shopee at shopee.ph/michfred_sports
- Via TikTok Shop at tiktok.com/@smellmypickleballsph
- In-store at Brand Central, located inside Island Central Mactan, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu
Follow the journey on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram at @smellmypickleballsph.
Life’s too short for boring balls.
About Smell My Pickleballs Philippines
Smell My Pickleballs Philippines is the exclusive Philippine distributor of Smell My Pickleballs, the American brand co-founded by Rob Lloyd and Tim Buckley in Connecticut, USA. Operating out of Lucena, Quezon Province, the brand brings tournament-regulation, scented pickleballs to the fast-growing Philippine pickleball community. Now available online via Shopee and TikTok Shop, and in-store at Brand Central inside Island Central Mactan, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu.
Current scents: Ocean Breeze Baseline, Lemon Lob, and Minty Drop Shot.