Việt Nam will host the World Pickleball Championship Series – Asia Pacific on April 3-9. — Photo WPC

Pickleball

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Việt Nam is set to host the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Series – Asia Pacific for the first time on April 3-9 at Resort Carmelina in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.

The WPC Series - Asia Pacific consists of 12 tournaments, each held in a different country. The event in Việt Nam marks the second stop in Asia, with eight more scheduled in Asia and four in Australia, leading up to the WPC finals.

The tournament in Việt Nam will feature 300 athletes, including 220 foreign players, who will compete in the men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, as well as mixed doubles categories. The competition will also feature divisions based on age groups to accommodate the athletes' physical condition.

Việt Nam will have several representatives in the professional category, including tennis veteran Trịnh Linh Giang.

Pickleball is a racket or paddle sport played with two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Participants use paddles to hit a perforated, hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high (0.86 m) net until one side fails to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.

Pickleball gained popularity in the Pacific Northwest region of the US between 1965 and 2020, and has since grown in popularity across the country. In fact, the sport was recognised as the fastest-growing sport in the US in 2021, 2022, and 2023, with an estimated 4.8 million players by 2023.

Introduced to Việt Nam in 2018, pickleball has experienced significant growth in recent years, with approximately 25 pickleball clubs now established throughout the country.

Lưu Thùy Dung, a member of the organising committee, expressed her commitment to ensuring the successful organisation of this prestigious tournament, with the aim of promoting the growth of pickleball in Việt Nam.

“I hope that this tournament will serve as a turning point for the development of the sport not only in Việt Nam but also around the world,” Dung said.

The final event of the WPC Series - Asia Pacific will also be held in Việt Nam in January 2025. — VNS