The Philippines isn’t going to Da Nang just to make up the numbers. As pickleball’s global boom shows no sign of slowing, the country is sending a 38-strong contingent to the Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, from 30 August to 6 September 2026, entering a 70-nation field with genuine ambitions of a podium finish rather than simply enjoying the experience.
That confidence isn’t manufactured. Philippine Pickleball Federation president Shery Cu made the federation’s expectations plain during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room, framing the tournament as a genuine opportunity for the country to announce itself on pickleball’s biggest stage. “That is why eyes are on us. They want to see what we can bring. And many will be surprised,” she said.
The local boom underpinning that confidence is real. Pickleball is currently the fastest-growing sport on the planet, and the Philippines has been swept up in that surge in a way Cu likened to badminton’s own rise locally years ago—a comparison that says plenty about how quickly the sport has taken root here.
A Roster Built Over Six Months
Cu shared the forum stage with four of the players who’ll carry that expectation into competition: Ruben Gonzales, a former member of the Philippine Davis Cup tennis team, alongside Nik Isagan, Kelsey Laurente, and Fatima Amirul. Between them, they represent a squad assembled through nearly six months of domestic competition, with some spots awarded based on current standings and others earned through open tryouts—a properly competitive selection process rather than a handpicked shortlist.
The full delegation spans the Open, Under-18, Under-14, Kids, and Seniors divisions of an event that’s drawn more than 4,000 participants this year, staged with backing from San Miguel Corporation, the PSC, the Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and sports app ArenaPlus. “We want to make an impression. We are hoping for a podium finish. We expect a good finish in this World Cup,” Cu added.
She isn’t underestimating the challenge, either. Vietnam and the United States headline the list of teams to beat, both former hosts of the event during its runs in Peru and the United States over the past two years, and this year’s staging is being billed as the most competitive in the tournament’s history yet.
The Players Carrying the Weight
For Gonzales, the moment carries real personal significance. A two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medallist, he’s represented the national tennis team since 2010 but is only now making his Philippine debut in pickleball. “It’s an honour to represent the Philippines in pickleball now. I’ve been with the national tennis team since 2010 and this is my first time playing for our country in pickleball,” he said.
Isagan, who made his own switch from lawn tennis to pickleball back in 2023, was candid about the scale of the task ahead. “There’s a high chance but it’s going to be tough because there are many powerhouse teams like the US and Vietnam,” he said.
Laurente, for her part, kept things simple. “We will do our best and bring that gold medal back home,” she said.
Whether that gold medal materialises remains to be seen against a field this deep, but between the federation’s confidence and the players’ own track records, the Philippines isn’t heading to Da Nang hoping merely to compete. It’s going there expecting to be noticed.
