In Asia’s wealth world, the action isn’t just confined to trading floors or client luncheons. Private bankers are hitting backhands, swinging clubs, and giving back to the community, and these last couple of months have shown just that.

If you’ve wandered through Central in Hong Kong lately, you might have spotted a new kind of court lighting up the harbourfront. UBS Presents Padel Central, a first-of-its-kind pop-up, is bringing the fast-growing racquet sport to the community. UBS’s top executives even swapped suits for sports gear, trading deal talk for doubles.

They’re not the only ones catching the sports bug. In Singapore, OCBC and Bank of Singapore executives have been spotted rallying on pickleball courts, part of a wider push with the Singapore Sports Hub to make the sport more accessible to the public by early 2026.

BNP Paribas Wealth Management, meanwhile, kept it classic. Its annual Golf Days in Hong Kong and Singapore combined client bonding with a dash of friendly rivalry, proof that sometimes 18 holes can achieve more than 18 meetings.

Golf, of course, remains a private banking staple. EFG International, together with the Singapore Golf Association, has expanded its Elite Young Golfers Scholarship Programme to 11 rising stars, up from just three in 2023. And at Morgan Stanley’s St. James’ Cup Charity Golf Tournament in Hong Kong, even torrential rain and thunderstorms couldn’t dampen the spirit; players still raised nearly HK$900,000 for underprivileged children.

But sport in finance isn’t always about the corporate circuit. Some bankers bring their athletic discipline straight into their professional game.

Take UBS’s Young Jin Yee, a former competitive gymnast who represented Singapore in two Southeast Asian Games. In a Women’s Day story a few years back, she shared how years of training instilled focus and structure, traits that continue to shape her leadership today.

EFG’s Albert Chiu recently hit his own milestone, completing the 42.2km Berlin Marathon in 3:43:29 to celebrate both his 25th anniversary with the firm and his 60th birthday, the result of months of disciplined training.

A few years ago, I did a story with UBS’s Jansen Phee, who credits Muay Thai — or Thai boxing — for teaching him perseverance, humility, and adaptability, qualities that serve him well when tackling challenges in fund selection.

And then there’s Morgan Stanley’s Christina Au-Yeung, who takes driving performance to another level. When she’s not steering investment decisions, she’s drifting — yes, the Fast & Furious kind — or powerlifting.

It’s not just about golf anymore. From fresh favourites like padel and pickleball to personal pursuits like running, martial arts, and drifting, Asia’s private bankers are finding their own ways to channel discipline, focus, and drive beyond the boardroom.

So… what’s your sport? And more importantly, do you play to win or to connect? (Or maybe a bit of both?)