KUCHING: Kuala Lumpur’s Only Tuak were crowned champions of the Kuching Dodgeball Open Tournament (KDOT) 2026 after defeating Miri’s Red Card Holder in a dramatic double-elimination final at Arena Sukan, Kuching, held from October 24 to 25.

Only Tuak entered the knockout stage as the top seed after winning four consecutive group matches, but Red Card Holder defeated them 2-1 in the upper-bracket final. 

The Kuala Lumpur side bounced back by beating Kuching’s Kitsune 3–0 in the lower-bracket final before winning the first grand-final match 2–0 and the deciding encounter 2–1 to seal the title with nine wins from 10 matches.

Red Card Holder finished runners-up, while Kitsune claimed third place after a campaign that included 11 matches, the highest number played by any team in the tournament.

Kitsune also overturned an earlier 6–0 group-stage defeat to Brunei’s Maestro by winning 3–1 in the elimination rounds.

Kuching Dodgeball Association’s (KDA) president and tournament organiser, Darren Robin said the competition brought together teams from across the region and provided opportunities for local players to compete against experienced opponents.

“I’m genuinely proud of what we achieved with KDOT 2026, but what meant the most to me was seeing the dodgeball community come together, both on and off the court.

“Seeing teams from Sarawak compete alongside experienced players from other regions shows why opportunities like this matter”, he said.

The tournament featured 15 teams and 124 registered players from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, with 59 matches played across two courts. 

Only Tuak received RM3,500 in prize money, Red Card Holder took RM2,000 and Kitsune earned RM1,000, while Kuching’s Brian Chin Yung Liang and Rofina Rhodea Konsil were named the men’s and women’s Most Valuable Players (MVP) respectively.