KUALA LUMPUR: Pickleball fans have not held back expressing their deep disappointment with the organisers of the Anna Leigh Waters Asia Pro Showcase held in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Many fans claimed that tickets for the event were oversold, leading to overcrowding at the venue and subsequently long entry queues as well as limited meet-and-greet opportunities with the world No. 1.
Fans who purchased expensive VIP entry tickets were even more disappointed.
Anna Leigh fan Chen Xi was furious and demanded a full refund.
Chen Xi and her partner paid RM1,300 each for a VIP package but found themselves without seats and were forced to stand with their view obstructed.
"The place was so small that it could not even fit the number of people attending. You oversold the event," she said on social media today.
Entrepreneur Azzim Zahid echoed Chen Xi's sentiments.
"There were some who were even sitting on the ground, the players didn't have room to play," he said on social media.
"Crazy oversold tickets...it is not as though you didn't know the maximum capacity for the venue."
Actress Elfira Loy also chipped in.
"People came and stayed probably just for Anna Leigh. Seriously, if it weren't for her, no one would have tolerated what happened tonight. Still, thank you for bringing her to Malaysia," she said on social media yesterday.
"Well done, Malaysians, you are all very patient and are good sports."
Franklin Malaysia has apologised to fans who attended the event and said it would set up a dedicated channel to handle attendee grievances.
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