Malaysian Pizza Chef Joins Pizza World Championship In Italy This April

Pizza chef Zaini Ahmad will be competing in two categories at the world’s largest pizza competition.

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Malaysian pizza chef Zaini Ahmad will be competing at the Pizza World Championship in Parma, Italy from 14 to 16 April 2026.

Sharing on his Threads account, Zaini said he will be competing in the Neapolitan STG Pizza category and the Fastest category.

Zaini added that it’s his first time joining the competition; it’s a big step for him to test his skills and see how far he can go in the pizza world.

He doesn’t promise victory, but promises he will give his best and return home with a valuable experience.

The Pizza World Championship (Campionato Mondiale della Pizza) describes itself as more than just a competition. The event celebrates the passion, creativity, and tradition of one of the world’s most beloved foods.

Every year, more than 770 pizza makers and chefs from all over the world meet in Parma to put their skills to the test.

These pizza masters are judged on preparation, taste, bake, and presentation. They will compete in various categories such as Classic Pizza, Gluten-free pizza, Freestyle, Pan Pizza, The Largest pizza, and World Pizza Team.

Who is Zaini Ahmad?

Zaini has seven years of experience as a pizza chef and has worked as one in Scotland. In a post dated 23 March this year, he announced he would be leaving the restaurant in Scotland and shared that he would return home soon. He hoped to bring a little hope and motivation to Malaysia’s pizza scene.

Zaini is serious about expanding his knowledge to be one of the greatest pizza chefs. In some of his more recent posts, he travelled to Morocco and met a renowned local pizza chef, Chef Hamid. Both men collaborated in a pizza acrobatics video and showed off their pizza-dough-tossing skills.