Rising pickleball star Quang Duong of Vietnam is moving on from Selkirk Sports and will instead move forward with Vietnamese paddle maker Sypik.
Duong’s switch to Sypik came a day after he gave a heartfelt thank-you to Selkirk Sport, which had been Avatar’s brand for the past couple of years now.
“Thank you, Selkirk for the support last 2 years. I was able to bring Selkirk around the world,” wrote the 19-year-old star on social media. “From USA to Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Ha Long Bay, Mumbai and many other Asian countries. Let #pickleball continue to grow global. Thank you.”
Sypik also took to social media to announce Duong’s milestone signing with the fully Asian brand.
“A historic handshake between a world-class Vietnamese athlete and a rising Vietnamese paddle brand shaking the global stage,” Sypik wrote on Instagram. “Vietnamese pride when Vietnamese people affirm their class on the world pickleball map. Reaching international level, bringing Vietnamese aspirations to the world!”
Sypik was founded in January 2023 by Dzung Chu (CEO), Linh (CTO), and Trang (CMO). It started off at a small factory and a rudimentary sales website, with basic racket and accessory products for pickleball. It has grown significantly since then and has become Vietnam’s top manufacturer of rackets and accessories. Its operations have also expanded into many other products that cater to the needs of Pickleball players such as sportswear, racket bags, and balls.
Duong, currently ranked seventh in the PPA Tour, signed with Sypik to follow through on his long-term vision of promoting pickleball, the fastest-rising sport in the world, in Asia. It is also his way to give back to Vietnam, his home country.
Selkirk Sport, meanwhile, gets to move on from Avatar, whose relationship with the fledging brand seemingly went from cordial to acrimonious in the past few months. Rumours of a rift between Duong and Selkirk intensified in January when the latter switched from a Selkirk paddle to a Proton Series Three paddle midgame in a match at the Zimmer Biomet Masters powered by Invited.
