On July 28 in Hanoi, the Congress to establish the Vietnam Pickleball Federation for term I (2026-2031) took place with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, management agencies, sports federations, businesses, clubs, coaches, referees and athletes nationwide.
The event marks the first time Pickleball Vietnam has a national-level socio-professional organization, creating a unified focal point in management, movement development, competition organization and expanding international cooperation.
At the congress, delegates approved the Federation Charter, the direction of activities for the first term, along with resolutions and development orientations in the 2026-2031 period. One of the key objectives is to expand the network of members and clubs nationwide, while building a training system for coaches, referees, athletes and standardizing the organization of tournaments.
In addition, the Federation identifies digital transformation as a priority task. The application of technology and artificial intelligence in management, training and operation will gradually form a modern Pickleball ecosystem, from national databases, membership management, online competition registration to athlete ranking systems.
The Congress also elected the Executive Committee for the first term including 37 members. Mr. Le Van Thanh was trusted to hold the position of Chairman of the Vietnam Pickleball Federation.
The Vice Chairmen include Mr. To Duy, Dinh Dac Vinh, Le Thanh Ha, Nguyen Ba Canh, Pham Xuan Tai, Phan Thanh Thien, Tran Manh Ut, Nguyen Manh Thang. Among them, Mr. Nguyen Vu Nghi holds the position of Vice Chairman cum General Secretary.
Speaking at the congress, new Chairman Le Van Thanh emphasized: "The establishment of the Vietnam Pickleball Federation not only meets the development requirements of a new sport but also contributes to the implementation of the Party and State's policy on developing physical education and sports, improving people's health, promoting sports economy and international integration. The Federation will operate according to the principles of voluntariness, democracy, solidarity, transparency, compliance with the law and charter; taking quality, efficiency and sustainable development as a consistent goal.
According to the approved orientation, the Federation will build an organizational system from central to local levels, complete the national competition system, develop national teams and youth teams, and mobilize social resources to promote sustainable Pickleball development. The vision to 2035 is to make Vietnam one of the countries with a strong Pickleball movement in Asia, before aiming to host international tournaments in the next stage.
