Vietnam’s Pickleball Boom Is Facing Immense Challenges, But There’s a Bright Future in the Works
Pickleball’s meteoric rise isn’t just limited to a few countries. It’s global, and Southeast Asian nations are feeling this growth just the same.
Yes, pickleball is growing in the region. Malaysia and Thailand are hooked. The Philippines is getting in on the action, as is Indonesia and Cambodia. And so is Vietnam. In fact, one can argue that Vietnam, home of pickleball sensation Quang Duong, is fast becoming pickleball country—something that’s happening in Malaysia already.
Indeed, Vietnam’s pickleball scene is expanding rapidly. It’s mostly driven by increased participation and tournaments as Vietnamese picklers are continually drawn to pickleball. The sport has seen remarkable growth in Vietnam over the past year, with the number of players nearly doubling since 2024 to an estimated 30,000.
This surge in popularity has led to a growing number of courts and a significant increase in both grassroots and competitive tournaments. Some estimates even state that pickleball tournaments in Vietnam—ranging from casual club events to brand-sponsored competitions—are held weekly across the country. This only underscores the sport’s rising status in Vietnam’s recreational and competitive sports landscape—one that has traditionally been dominated by football and football alone.
Businesses have gotten into the pickleball as well, doing their part to actively promote the sport and add lustre to international stars like Duong, who currently ranked sixth in the world. This unprecedented rise culminated in the launch of the first National Pickleball Championship in March, which brought together Vietnam’s top picklers led by tennis players-turned-pickleball stars Ly Hoang Nam and Si Boi Ngoc.
Despite the sport growing by leaps and bounds in Vietnam, there are existential threats that could potentially hamper the sport’s future growth. Mainly, pickleball in Vietnam is today grappling with organisational flaws and disputes over officiating.
A case in point is the recently held 2025 National Pickleball Championship that was mired in controversy when Son Tung publicly criticised not only the referees, but also the organisers. But while under fire, the organisers were humble enough to admit their shortcomings—mainly their failure to field experienced referees and challenges in making accurate line calls.
“The tournament still has some limitations, particularly in officiating, where many referees are new to the sport,” Mac Xuan Tung, a pickleball specialist at the Sports Authority of Vietnam, pointed out about the conduct of the 2025 National Pickleball Championship. “Calls on whether the ball is in or out are still judged by the naked eye. Additionally, the playing fields and spectator stands are not yet up to standard.”
If such was the case for a nationally organised pickleball tournament, imagine what happens in smaller, localised competitions. And, indeed, Vietnam’s grassroots players have been lamenting poorly managed tourneys, with some taking to social media to voice their frustrations and displeasure.
Vietnam’s sports officials, though, are hard at work to formalising the sport’s governance by creating a centralised federation that will handle pickleball in the country and provide a level of organisation that will uplift the sports to even greater heights.
“We have set up a campaign committee and will submit a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in April to form a national pickleball federation, which will provide the necessary framework for the sport’s long-term development,” said Tun on plans to create a pickleball governing body.
In the near term, in fact, there are already plans to conduct referee training programs, and set clearer tournament regulations. The long-term goal, of course, is to establish what would be the Vietnam Pickleball Federation.
For a sport thriving even without high-level structure and organisation, the realisation of those plans could be a game-changer.
