Pickleball movement developing in Khanh Hoa

Pickleball movement has been developing strongly in Khanh Hoa Province in a short period of time. Ease of play and low investment costs helped to increase the number of players and pickleball courts.

A player competes at Champa - KTV Pickleball Cup 2024

About a year ago, pickleball was a relatively new sport in Vietnam, primarily developing in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Now, however, it has spread widely throughout the country. Sports administrators have even started to develop plans to make pickleball as a key sport in their respective organizations and localities. For example, Ho Chi Minh City, the pioneer in establishing a pickleball federation, merged tennis federation with pickleball federation into tennis-pickleball federation. A month ago, the Sports Authority of Vietnam in coordination with Thai Binh Provincial Department of Culture and Sports and sponsors successfully organized the 2024 National Pickleball Club Championship.

In Khanh Hoa in general and Nha Trang in particular, pickleball movement has also developed strongly. According to Tran Van Binh, a pickleball player in Nha Trang, pickleball is relatively easier to play, more accessible and costs less than other sports. People who have played table tennis, badminton and tennis can find this sport easier to play than people who have never played these.

A player who has plays pickleball for a few months can compete in club competitions with suitable levels depending on their skills. Therefore, pickleball is considered a sport suitable for all ages. Currently, the prices per hour for a pickleball court in Nha Trang during non-peak hours (from 6:00am to 4:00pm) range from VND120,000 to 160,000, peak hours (from 4:00pm to 8:00pm) range from VND160,000 to 220,000. A pickleball paddle costs from VND 500,000 to over VND2 million.

People playing pickleball in Champa Island

There are currently about 10 clubs and court clusters in Khanh Hoa with hundreds of pickleball players. For example, Hoang Sa Pickleball Club has 2 courts on Hoang Sa Street, Phuoc Long Ward; OP Club has 3 courts on Le Hong Phong Street, Phuoc Tan Ward; 3 courts of Nha Trang Sports Training and Competition Center are located in Hon Ro area, Phuoc Dong Commune; DSD Pickleball has 8 courts inThai Hung Urban Area, Vinh Thai Commune; Da Quoc Pickleball has 6 courts in Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street; Champa Island has 3 courts; and so on.

Besides courts, the number of pickleball tournaments from club level to open level is also increasing. Most recently, Khanh Hoa Radio and Television Station in coordination with Champa Island successfully organized the first Champa - KTV Pickleball Cup 2024. In order to keep up with the growing popularity of this sport, Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Culture and Sports recently issued regulations to organize Khanh Hoa Provincial Pickleball Tournament for age groups 2024. This tournament aims to promote pickleball movement among players at all ages and discover outstanding players for the provincial team to prepare for national tournaments. The tournament is scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 2.

An Nhien
Translated by H.N