Pickleball 

Players practise pickleball in Hà Nội. The first national championship for clubs will be organised next month in Thái Bình Province. Photo toquoc.vn

THÁI BÌNH — The first National Pickleball Clubs Championship will be held in Thái Bình Province from October 7 to 13.

It is the first national-level tournament for the trendy sport since pickleball first appeared in Việt Nam in 2018.

Players will compete in amateur and elite sections in three different age groups (under 35, from 35 to 49 and over 50) in four categories: men's and women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Rules and regulations from the Asia Federation of Pickleball will be applied.

Pickleball has had a meteoric rise in Việt Nam, attracting a huge number of participants. The sport is suitable for Vietnamese people's physical condition and is widely expected to continue spreading throughout the country.

Earlier this month, Director of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam (SAV) Đặng Hà Việt met with representatives of the AFP about coordinating activities and developing the sport in Việt Nam.

AFP said Vietnamese people love pickleball and expressed a high demand for paddle sports, which combine elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball.

A major goal for the APF and SAV is to support the training of coaches and referees in understanding pickleball's rules and receiving Asian standard certificates. VNS