The Asian Federation of Pickleball is holding three important events at the end of April in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Asia Open Pickleball Championships
The main attraction is the Asia Open Pickleball Championships, which will be held from April 30 to May 4. Registration is open until April 8. The venue is 796 Sư Vạn Hạnh Street (link), Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City.
The dates of play are as follows:
Singles – April 30 (click here to reserve your place)
Women’s and Men’s Doubles – May 1-2 (click here to reserve your place)
Mixed Doubles – May 3 (click here to reserve your place)
Team – May 4 (click here to reserve your place)
Each day’s play commences at 8 a.m. local time.
The organizing body reminds you that you may play in a bracket above your official skill level but not below it. Age is flexible for players; for example, if you’re over 50 and your partner is over 35, you can still participate together.
Each player has the opportunity to register for TWO events per day: one in Session 1 (either INT or ADV) and one in Session 2 (OPEN). It’s the player’s responsibility to ensure accurate registration and play at the appropriate skill level.
If there’s a discrepancy between your skill level and the competition category (such as having earned medals in an Advanced-level tournament in Asia but competing at the Intermediate level), an investigation may be conducted.
Withdrawal from the game may be requested, and any awarded medals may be retrieved. If there aren’t enough entries in a single age/skill category (minimum 5), the Tournament Director may opt to combine categories.
Please note INT and ADV tickets are US$40, while OPEN ones cost US$50. Team tickets are US$200.
All the champions in the individual event of APG 2023, listed at afpickleball.org/leaderboard, will skip the round-robin stage and enter directly into Round 2 of the single-elimination phase in the AOPC OPEN divisions.
AFP Referee Workshop
You can also attend an AFP Referee Workshop. The workshop will be held in two sessions. Session 1 will take place on Tuesday, April 29, from 1 to 5 p.m., and Session 2 will happen on Sunday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to noon.
This course will provide a comprehensive framework for training individuals to become competent pickleball referees. It will emphasize the importance of understanding not only the rules and mechanics but also fair play, sportsmanship, and continuous improvement.
You will get an understanding of how to oversee the progression of the tournament and the roles and responsibilities of referees in maintaining its smooth operation, including managing the flow of individual games.
You will need to complete a pre-reading and online test. You should also be familiar with the rule book. The course will practice officiating skills through mock matches and simulations.
Upon completion, every participant will be issued a certificate of attendance by the Asia Federation of Pickleball (AFP).
Trainers: John Ng and Eileen Chua.
Session 1 will be hosted at the same venue as AOPC 2024. However, the second one will take place at Công Viên Bờ Sông Sài Gòn Thủ Thiêm – Tp.Thủ Đức.
The course fee is US$20.
IPTPA Instructor Certification Workshop
On Sunday, May 5, the IPTPA will be holding an instructor certification workshop.
Level I – Teach the Teacher Workshop (US$340)
Each attendee will receive an IPTPA Handbook, which forms the basis of the course content.
Successful completion of the workshop with the participant demonstrating minimum ball feeding skills and showing an understanding of how to use the IDEAS methodology, along with passing the written exam, leads to Level I Certification.
Click here to see an overview of IPTPA level 1 certified pickleball instructors.
Level II – Observed Teaching Lesson (US$200)
Please register as soon as possible to pass the written exam and skills test. An IPTPA trainer will observe student teaching leading to Level II Certification.
Click here to read the IPTPA notes for the observed teaching lesson.
To register, you need to create a personal account (members.iptpa.com) and fill out an application form.
The certified instructor’s name and email address will be displayed on the AFP and IPTPA websites.
The course will be held at the Công Viên Bờ Sông Sài Gòn Thủ Thiêm – Tp.Thủ Đức.
Read more of our coverage about how pickleball is growing in Vietnam.
