Five Thousand Players From Sixty-Five Countries Went to Da Nang and Vietnam Lost the Final Four-Nil
The Pickleball World Cup picked up two Guinness World Records, and Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand all sent players.
The Heineken Pickleball World Cup ran 30 August to 6 September at the Tien Son Sports Palace in Da Nang, the fourth edition and the largest.
Over 5,000 athletes from 65 countries and territories entered, including the United States, South Korea, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Guinness World Records certified two marks at the event: the pickleball tournament with the most participating nationalities, and the most valuable pickleball trophy.
The team event took 66 countries into groups of four, then knockouts, with each tie played as best of seven across gender doubles, mixed doubles and singles. The United States beat Vietnam 4-0 in the final to defend the title, fielding Jack Munro, Kat Stewart, Bobbi Oshiro and Richard Livornese. Vietnam were led by Quang Duong, Hoang Nam Ly and Phuc Huynh. Hong Kong knocked out third seeds France to reach the semis and lost 4-0 to the United States.
Individual titles: Nam Ly Hoang took men's singles for Vietnam, Kat Stewart the women's, Munro and Nicola Schoeman the mixed doubles, Munro and Livornese the men's, Schoeman and Selina Turulja the women's.
India finished fourth with 41 medals from 48 athletes, up from seventh a year earlier.