Pickleball Tournament "Arms of Love": Ready for battle

This morning, December 13th, the "Circle of Love" Pickleball Tournament 2025, organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, will take place with the participation of nearly 90 pairs of athletes, fairly evenly divided across 6 competition categories. In addition to the category for artists and celebrities, the tournament promises to feature exciting, tense, and fiercely contested matches.

Reunion with pickleball

Besides the formidable amateur players, the tournament also features 12 pairs of athletes from the cultural and entertainment world, such as singer-actress Minh Hang, actress Dong Anh Quynh, actor Ba Cuong, singer Tuimi, singer Tronie, musician Duong Khac Linh, Akira Phan, etc. They contribute to the vibrant atmosphere of the tournament, generating interest among pickleball fans in Ho Chi Minh City.

Giải Pickleball — Actor Loi Tran participated in the competition as an ambassador for the award. (Photo provided by the subject)

Actor Loi Tran shared: "Participating in the tournament is an opportunity for us to socialize, learn, and improve our pickleball skills. Picking up a racket and going onto the court helps me release negative energy, regain a feeling of joy and well-being, and connect with friends every day."

The Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Center Pickleball Club, the host venue for the tournament, has completed preparations for the courts and facilities for the competitions. The Organizing Committee has decided to hold the matches simultaneously on all six courts to ensure the progress and schedule of the entire tournament.

Regarding professional standards, chief referee Do Xuan Hung stated: "The referees assigned to the tournament have all received thorough training. They have recently attended professional training courses organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Tennis - Pickleball Federation and the Vietnam Sports Department (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). They will apply the latest rules of the Asian Pickleball Federation 2025 to ensure accuracy and fairness for all athletes."

Exciting competitions

According to the regulations of the 2025 "Circle of Love" Pickleball Tournament organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, the qualifying rounds to the quarterfinals will consist of one set, each set to 11 points, with a change of sides starting from 6 points. A two-point lead wins from 10-10, with a final score of 15. The semifinals and finals will consist of one set, each set to 15 points, with a change of sides starting from 8 points. A two-point lead wins from 14-14, with a final score of 21.

The doubles pairs will compete in a round-robin format within their respective groups based on category and age. Depending on the number of pairs in each category, the best-performing pairs will advance to the quarterfinals or directly to the semifinals. From there, the pairs will compete in a knockout format until the final match of each category.

Mr. Bui Thanh Liem, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee, said: "Pickleball is a rapidly developing sport in Vietnam. Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper is organizing the second edition of the tournament in 2025 with the enthusiastic participation of numerous athletes, the support of many businesses, social organizations, and partners. We hope the tournament will create a positive impact, contributing to raising awareness of sports training, improving physical health and mental well-being of the people, in addition to showing greater concern for the community."

In all competition categories, the Organizing Committee will award prizes as follows: first place includes a trophy, 6 million VND, two pairs of Zocker pickleball shoes, and a gift from Ligpro; second place includes a medal, 4 million VND, two boxes of three balls, and two gifts from Ligpro; and joint third place winners will receive a medal, 2 million VND, and two Zocker caps.

Specifically for the artists and actors category, the first, second, and joint third place pairs, along with the most impressive male and female athletes, will receive gifts from the Organizing Committee and sponsor Icon Basic.

During the program, the Organizing Committee will mobilize philanthropists and the community of athletes to participate in charitable work with the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, contributing to the newspaper's "Circle of Love" program. The purpose of this program is to jointly contribute to supporting people in disaster-stricken areas, assisting poor students, poor patients in emergency situations who cannot afford hospital fees, and supporting homeless people to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse).

The trophy and medal set is elegant and sophisticated.

The "Circle of Love" Pickleball Tournament organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper in 2025 will take place all day on December 13th at the pickleball courts of the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Center (55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Ben Thanh Ward) with a total prize pool of nearly 100 million VND and gifts.

The "Circle of Love" medals will be awarded to players who reach the semi-finals in six competition categories, including men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles, across two age groups: 18-44 and 45 years and older. A seventh competition category, added at the suggestion of artists and celebrities, is expected to be a highlight that will attract widespread attention from audiences and fans.

The medal is crafted from solid metal, with one side engraved with images of a racket, ball, and net, along with the bold word "pickleball," symbolizing the benefits this sport offers to practitioners. The front of the medal displays the name of the tournament and the events competed in by the athletes. The colorful medal ribbon reflects the international character and the booming popularity of this sport in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general.

The championship trophy set for the winning pairs in the 7 competition categories will undoubtedly be the most meaningful item, the ultimate goal of all the athletes. A stylized image of an athlete is placed on a wooden platform, with a crystal half-pickleball reaching upwards, and a racket above it bearing the inscription "Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper".

Football player MAC HONG QUAN:

I participated in the tournament because I wanted to experience the opportunity to compete against real players. Most importantly, the tournament, organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper, is entirely charitable, helping many people in need. This is my chance to contribute a small part to this humanitarian activity for the community.

Athlete BẾ THỊ KIM THANH:

I participate in many amateur pickleball tournaments primarily for fun and health. Most tournaments involve some degree of social work or charity, but the tournament organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper has a clear purpose and is an event of a reputable media organization. Therefore, I believe the tournament will be fun and meaningful enough for participants to have a beautiful memory.

Singer TRONIE:

Tronie is very excited to participate in the pickleball tournament organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper. This is a great opportunity for Tronie to showcase himself and compete alongside outstanding artists. Although a little nervous, Tronie believes he will maintain his competitive spirit and perform his best on the court. Tronie has prepared thoroughly and is looking forward to the competition day, ready to give his all.

Furthermore, this is the first time Tronie has shared the pickleball court with singer Huynh Tu to participate in a large-scale tournament like this. The joy and sportsmanship are what both of them always strive for, spreading positivity to encourage everyone to practice sports and improve their health.

Actor BA CUONG:

Cuong is very honored to be invited to participate for the second consecutive time. He is very excited about this tournament as many familiar artists are participating; it's an opportunity for everyone to hone their pickleball skills and enjoy truly exhilarating moments in each match.

With a busy schedule, Cuong doesn't have much time for physical exercise. But since discovering pickleball, he finds the sport incredibly appealing due to the benefits it offers. When he accepted the invitation to participate in this tournament, Cuong dedicated a lot of time to training. His fellow competitors are all excellent players, so the celebrity/artist category in this tournament will certainly be very interesting for him.

D.Linh - T.Trang wrote

Thank you to our partner:

- Terraco Vietnam Co., Ltd.

- Khai Hoan Trading Joint Stock Company

- Vietnam Agricultural and Rural Development Bank ( Agribank )

- Royal Advertising and Fine Arts Media Company Limited

- Nam Long Investment Corporation

- Pharmacity Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company

- Zocker Brand Sports Joint Stock Company

- Icon Basic fashion brand

- Quang Thinh Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Joint Stock Company - Ligpro brand

- Hoang Anh Gia Lai Joint Stock Company.