The pickleball movement in Hanoi:

In the last two years, pickleball has become a new and exciting sport, attracting thousands of people to participate in training and competitions, contributing to the promotion of sports and physical education in the capital city.

However, to prevent this sport from developing rapidly and quickly, it still requires the involvement of managers and coaches to guide the movement towards professionalism and sustainability.

Athletes competing at the Hanoi 2025 Pickleball Tournament.

Amateur tournaments are booming.

In just the last four months, Hanoi has consecutively organized two large-scale pickleball tournaments, creating a vibrant atmosphere and bringing a fresh, youthful energy to the capital's sports movement.

This was the first Economic & Urban Newspaper Pickleball Tournament 2025, held from March 14th to 16th, bringing together approximately 500 athletes competing in 10 categories including: Men's Doubles (amateur), Women's Doubles (amateur), Mixed Doubles (amateur), Men's Doubles (open), Women's Doubles (open), Men's Singles, Women's Singles (open)... across various age groups. The tournament was successfully organized and received high praise from experts for both its professional quality and organizational work.

Next, the Hanoi Radio and Television Pickleball Tournament 2025, organized by Hanoi Radio and Television, took place from June 14th to 15th at the Cau Giay Pickleball Complex, attracting over 600 athletes from many provinces and cities. The exciting and captivating matches drew thousands of spectators who came to cheer in person and followed the events through various media platforms. These are just two of the dozens of amateur pickleball tournaments organized in the capital city recently.

Pickleball coach Nguyen Xuan Thanh (Hoang Quoc Viet sports complex, Nghia Do ward) said that pickleball is a sport that combines the playing styles of table tennis, badminton, and tennis, originating from the United States in the 1960s. With simple rules, lightweight equipment, and easy accessibility, this sport attracts players of all ages, especially the elderly and office workers. In Hanoi, the pickleball movement has spread from central wards like Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, and Cau Giay to suburban communes like Phuc Loi, Dong Anh, and Thanh Tri. Many spontaneous clubs have been established, not only creating a training environment but also connecting the community who enjoy physical activities.

According to Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, grassroots tournaments, including pickleball, are widely organized, not only promoting mass sports but also creating a source for high-performance sports. Pickleball has now developed in many clubs and age groups with diverse competition content, creating a beneficial and healthy playground.

Promoting socialization

According to Dao Quoc Thang, Head of the Sports Management Department (Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports), pickleball is an easy-to-play sport, suitable for the physical abilities of Vietnamese people, and is currently very popular, thus having the potential to attract investment. However, the current movement in Hanoi is still mainly focused on health training and entertainment. To move towards professionalism, it is necessary to upgrade grassroots competitions, invest in facilities and organization, and promote socialization, organizing more high-quality professional competitions. Mr. Dao Quoc Thang added: “According to the latest plan of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, pickleball will be one of the 47 official sports at the 10th National Sports Games in 2026. To achieve this goal, pickleball in Hanoi, as well as nationwide, needs to organize more grassroots competitions to spread and encourage people to participate.”

Coach Nguyen Xuan Thanh also suggested strengthening the organization of amateur tournaments according to professional standards, inviting famous athletes to participate to attract attention. Simultaneously, he proposed training and improving the skills of coaches at the grassroots level. According to Coach Nguyen Xuan Thanh, if athletes are not equipped with sufficient technical knowledge, they are prone to injury. Without passion and long-term commitment, it is difficult to build a strong community and a sustainable tournament system.

Medical experts also assess that pickleball helps improve cardiovascular health, reflexes, flexibility, and hand-eye coordination. In particular, the moderate intensity of the exercise makes this sport suitable for many age groups, contributing to improved public health.

Pham Xuan Tai, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, affirmed that in the coming time, the Department will coordinate with other units to organize more amateur pickleball tournaments for students. This will not only meet the recreational and training needs of young people, but also contribute to popularizing this sport in localities and expanding the pool of athletes for high-performance sports in the capital city.

Not only is pickleball a strong attraction in Hanoi and several other major cities, but it also has the potential to become a popular and sustainable sport if properly managed, with resources socialized and strategic investments made. With the joint efforts of management agencies, investors, and the community, it is hoped that this new sport will increasingly develop towards professionalization.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/phong-trao-pickleball-o-ha-noi-lam-the-nao-de-phat-trien-ben-vung-712065.html