Vietnam's Pickleball Gains Momentum with First National Championship, International Success

Trịnh Linh Giang captured the Pro Men’s Singles title at the PPA Tour Asia – Panas Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur, beating India’s Vanhisk Kapadia 12-10, 11-7 in the final on July 7, 2025. Viet Nam News reported the first set was tense at 10-all before Giang closed it out, and the second set belonged to his “powerful smashes, smart backhands and higher fitness level” as he moved to Vietnam’s first individual pro-level title.

Vietnamese youth also reached the podium in Kuala Lumpur. Teenagers Tống Nhật Minh and Lê Xuân Đức lost the opening set 1-11 to Malaysians Irfan and Ithan Kamil in the U18 doubles final before rallying to win the next two sets and claim gold, a result Viet Nam News highlighted as evidence of a growing junior pipeline.

Domestically, the sport took a concrete step with the launch of Vietnam’s first National Pickleball Championship in early March 2025, following a 2024 Club Pickleball Championship. VietNamNet reported that Trịnh Linh Giang and Ly Hoàng Nam won gold in the under-35 men’s doubles at that national event. Tuổi Trẻ noted the championship proceeded despite the absence of a national governing body and cited unofficial estimates that the number of players nearly doubled since 2024 to about 30,000.

That rapid expansion has exposed organizational strains. Tuổi Trẻ reported athlete Son Tung publicly criticized referees and organizers at the national championship, and tournament organizers acknowledged shortcomings. “The tournament still has some limitations, particularly in officiating, where many referees are new to the sport,” said Mac Xuan Tung, a pickleball specialist at the Sports Authority of Vietnam.

The domestic boom has roots in racket-sport crossovers and grassroots clubs. VietNamNet and local observers say Linh Giang and Ly Hoàng Nam left tennis in 2023 to pursue pickleball, and Danfellner’s reporting from Ho Chi Minh City found several dozen courts in the city with more being added. Pickleball Saigon’s Facebook page has about 2,900 members, and local club manager Vincent Nguyen said, “This sport is very suitable to Vietnamese people because they are fast and they are quick learners.” Danfellner also recorded examples such as Lap Vo, age 49, who learned from YouTube and became a 4.0 player within nine months.

Vietnam’s international foothold appears sustainable as the calendar fills out. VietNamNet lists further PPA Tour Asia stops in Hong Kong, Japan and China with a return to Malaysia in October 2025, and Viet Nam News set the Hong Kong Open at Kai Tak Arena for August 21 to 24. Coupled with earlier international results highlighted in reporting from 2023, Vietnam’s rise now presents a twofold task: convert talent into consistent international contenders and professionalize officiating and governance at home.