PPA Tour Asia to be held in Vietnam for first time
Pickleball, which originated in Washington, the US 59 years ago, blends tennis, badminton and table tennis. It was introduced to Vietnam in 2018.
Local pickleball players show off their performance at a local tournament in Da Nang city. More than 120 professional and 1,000 amateur players will be competing in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Asia-Vietnam at the city’s Tien Son Sports Centre on September 30-October 4. (Photo courtesy of Le Lam)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Asia–Vietnam will take place in the central beach city of Da Nang from September 30 to October 4.
It is expected to draw more than 120 professionals and 1,000 amateurs take to the courts at the Tien Son Sports Centre.
The organiser, America & Asia Connect company, said the tour would feature some of the world’s elite players, including Ben Johns, Federico Staksrud, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, Tyra Hurricane Black, Zoey Chao Yi Wang, Kaitlyn Christian and Alix Truong across age groups and pro divisions.
Competitors will contest singles and doubles divisions for a total cash prize of 150,000 USD. Pro players will also earn valuable points to boost their world rankings through strong performances at the tournament, the organiser said.
It marks the first time Da Nang has hosted the largest continental pickleball event since the sport was introduced last year.
Only last week, Vietnamese player Phuc Huynh clinched the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Asia – MB Vietnam Open 2025 in HCM City.
Da Nang has since launched the city’s first Pickleball Association, placing the sport on its regular development list. The city also staged the first local Community International Pickleball Tournament, the VTV8-La Queenara Cup, with more than 100 participants.
🐈 Pickleball, which originated in Washington, the US 59 years ago, blends tennis, badminton and table tennis. It was introduced to Vietnam in 2018./.
Vietnam has earned two silver medals and one bronze in the pro category, while U18 players bagged two golds and two silvers from the PPA Tour Asia's Hong Kong Open 2025.
Trinh Linh Giang of Vietnam successfully took the continental men's singles title at the Panas Malaysia Open 2025, the first tournament of the PPA Tour Asia competition system. He earned 1,000 points to top the ranking table.
The Vietnam Open will be the final leg of the PPA Tour Asia 2025 series, following China’s Hong Kong Open from August 21 to 24 and the Sansan Fukuoka Open in Japan from August 26 to 31.
Held on September 13-14, ManiFiesta – the annual festival of solidarity organised by the Workers' Party of Belgium – drew tens of thousands of participants from across Belgium and neighbouring countries. Alongside music, debates and cultural exchanges, Vietnam made a strong impression with a booth rich in national identity.
Vietnam’s top female badminton player Nguyen Thuy Linh, ranked 18th in the world, was unable to defend her title after losing 0-2 to Cai Yan Yan of China (world No. 107) in the women’s singles final of Yonex-Sunrise Vietnam Open 2025.
At Nhan Dan’s pavilion, visitors encountered a vivid chronicle of Vietnam’s milestones under the Communist Party of Vietnam and the late President Ho Chi Minh’s leadership, from the struggle for independence and reunification to modern development and global integration. Special publications marking Vietnam’s 80th National Day, coupled with performances by Vietnamese artists, intricate handicrafts, and fragrant dishes, had foreign visitors lining up in droves.
Vietnamese singer Duc Phuc will be among 23 artists from 23 countries participating in Intervision 2025, an international music competition often described as the “Eurovision of Eurasia", in Russia.
The event aims to promote solidarity among ethnic minorities, particularly the Cham people, in southern and south-central Vietnam, following the recent merger of provincial-level administrative units.
The animated feature Buffalo Kids, hitting Vietnamese theatres on September 12, is developed from the record-breaking short Strings (2024), which holds the Guinness World Record for the most awarded short film in history.
The national achievement exhibition, themed “80 Years of Independence – Freedom – Happiness,” is the largest of its kind held in Vietnam so far, bringing together 28 ministries and central agencies, 34 localities, 16 state-owned economic corporations, and 94 leading private enterprises.
Victory Vietnam by Swedish film director Bo Öhlén is a deeply moving and authentic documentary, officially premiered in April 2025 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification of Vietnam (April 30, 1975 – 2025).
The LION Championship 26 (LC26) will take place at Tay Ho Gymnasium in Hanoi on September 13, with the spotlight on the debut of World WBC Muay Thai Champion Truong Cao Minh Phat, who will square off against Irish fighter Aaron Clarke in the 61kg MMA Striking category.
The archives consist of administrative records, maps, and technical drawings from 1911–1955 left by French coal companies, along with images capturing coal mining, colonial architecture, miners’ lives, and the local community. These materials not only carry historical value but also offer vivid insights into Quang Ninh’s socio-economic landscape before 1955.
Vietnam’s rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes are taking centre stage at the third photo exhibition “Vietnam Through the Lens of International Photographers”, which opened in Hue city on September 10.
The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) hosted a screening of the film Mua do (Red Rain) on September 9 for members of the consular corps and Lao and Cambodian students studying in the city, a part of activities marking the 80th anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 – 2025),
With this victory, Vietnam finished at the top of Group C with nine points, officially securing a place in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Finals, scheduled for January 2026.
On the opening day, Vietnam’s Vu Thi Trang played the first match for the host country, defeating Indonesia’s Aashi Rawat 2-1, marking an encouraging start for the home team.
The Cultural Day is expected to help further strengthen the Vietnam – RoK friendship while reaffirming Hue’s determination to expand international exchanges and assert its role as a cultural and tourism hub of the country.
Now in its second year, the event has grown into a dazzling cultural, culinary, and artistic extravaganza in the heart of London, celebrating the identity, diversity, and unity of the Southeast Asian region.
This year’s festival will offer audiences the chance to discover seven outstanding documentaries from seven foreign countries, along with 11 works from host Vietnam.
Inspired by the renowned Turkish novel "Madonna in a Fur Coat", the film portrays the tender love story of Manav (Shantanu Maheshwari), a young man aspiring to become a singer who is sent to study in Vietnam. There, he is enchanted by the self-portrait of Linh (Kha Ngan), a painter and dancer, setting the stage for a poignant romance.
During the event, visitors expressed special interest in traditional Vietnamese cuisine and handicrafts, especially commemorative souvenirs marking the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day.