Vietnam first to host World Pickleball Championship in April

The World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Vietnam is the second Asia stop of the WPC Series – Asia Pacific which will have eight stops in Asia and four in Australia, leading to the WPC finals.

The finals will be held at Carmelina Beach Resort in Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, southern Vietnam, from April 3 to 9.

The WPC Vietnam will bring together 300 athletes, including 220 foreign athletes, to compete in the Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles categories.

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

Between 1965 and 2020, pickleball became a popular sport in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, and began to grow in popularity elsewhere. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, the sport was named the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and by 2023 it was estimated to have over 4.8 million players.

Pickleball is also growing in popularity outside the United States, as there are several other national and international competitions. In Vietnam, this sport has begun to develop for the past few months, and has already attracted many players.