Da Nang Sport University Launches Pickleball Major as Interest in Sport Intensifies in Vietnam
Vietnam’s youth will now have another sports-related major to explore, and it is none other than—surprise! surprise!—pickleball.
Yes, the world’s fastest-rising sport is now a major course in Vietnam, specifically at Da Nang Sport University. The university officially launched just recently a pickleball major, which is a first-of-its-kind programme in Vietnam’s central region.
What Is Da Nang Sport University?
Known also as the University of Sports Da Nang or Trường Đại học Thể dục Thể thao Đà Nẵng in Vietnamese, Da Nang Sport University is a public university in Vietnam that specialises in sports education, physical training, and athletic science.
It is located in Da Nang City, a major urban centre in central Vietnam, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Its primary goal is to train physical education teachers, professional coaches, referees, sports managers, and researchers in sports science and health.
Pickleball Offered as a Major Course
The trailblazing programme, according to Vietnamese media outlet Tuoi Tre News, is a 24-credit course that combines tennis and pickleball training. The 24 credits are equally divided between the two sports.
“This is the first formal pickleball training programme at a sports university in the central and Central Highlands region,” said Da Nang Sport University Vice Rector, Duong Manh Thang. “Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, so sports students can pick it up quickly.”
Thang added that this new programme will train teachers, coaches, and sports managers in the following:
- Playing techniques
- Coaching methods
- Event organisation
- Sports management
Taking point in the training, according to Thang, are lecturers who have completed professional training already, including some with international certifications. Most also have experience in organising pickleball tournaments domestically.
Nearly 20 students have enrolled in the inaugural class, which will be for the 2025–26 academic year. The course is expected to help in further developing and expanding the Vietnamese pickleball community. This community, incidentally, came together earlier this month and set a Guinness World Record crowd of 7,906 fans who witnessed Championship Saturday of the PPA Tour Asia’s MB Vietnam Cup 2025 held in Da Nang’s Tien Son Sports Arena.
With pickleball formally institutionalised in one of Vietnam’s most prestigious universities, expect pickleball to be an even bigger hit in the country moving forward.
