On the afternoon of July 5, in Hai Phong City (old Hai Duong Province), within the framework of the King Friendship Open, a serious incident occurred when athlete V.G.C beat referee L.C.A with a racket right on the court.
The incident started when referee L.C.A decided to "in - out" the ball, which made V.G.C unhappy. After a broken hit, V.G.C rushed forward and used a phang racket to directly hit the referee in the head.
Although he was stopped in time and did not cause serious injuries, the incident seriously affected the referee psychologically.
The entire incident was recorded by a court camera and spread on social media, causing outrage in the pickleball community. Although V.G.C called to apologize, the referee said he did not feel the sincerity.
The King Pickleball Stadium Organizing Committee has issued a penalty: banning V.G.C from participating in any tournament organized by the stadium for 1 year, from July 5, 2025 to July 4, 2026.
