Thailand Pickleball Championship Kicks Off with Big K, Big A, and Taya Pushing Sport to International Level
Thailand's newly recognized pickleball sport held its national championship May 1-3, with government and Olympic officials backing efforts to develop athletes for international competition. The tournament included wheelchair pickleball and
Dr. Kongsak Yodmanee, director of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), together with Prof. Pimol Srivirk, chair of the Thai Olympic Committee and advisor to the Pickleball Association, and Taya Teepsuwan, president of the Thai Pickleball Association, officially opened the 2026 Thailand Pickleball Championship (Thailand Pickleball Championship 2026 Presented by BRAGG) held May 1-3 at Pickleball Warehouse in Rangsit, Pathum Thani Province. A wheelchair pickleball competition was held separately on May 3 at the Benchamakitti Sports Center.
Dr. Kongsak noted that pickleball is a newly recognized sport that the Sports Authority and Thai Olympic Committee recently approved under Thai sports law. He praised the association for organizing both international and domestic competitions within a short timeframe, particularly for including wheelchair pickleball, which aligns with SAT's mission to promote sports participation across all segments of society. Looking ahead, SAT aims to work with the association to develop pickleball toward international excellence by securing its inclusion in national youth and national sports programs and establishing membership in the International Pickleball Federation, which must first be recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Prof. Pimol Srivirk noted that pickleball is an emerging global sport gaining worldwide recognition due to its fun, ease of play, and accessibility to all ages. He commended the tournament organizers for their high-quality execution and expressed hope for more frequent competitions, ideally expanding to other provinces to grow the player base and develop Thailand's national team potential.
Taya Teepsuwan reported that pickleball has grown rapidly over the past 3-4 years, with Thailand seeing a 40 percent increase in players over the past year. He attributed this growth to the sport's accessibility across all ages and ease of learning, and announced plans to continue organizing competitions to develop more athletes who can eventually represent Thailand internationally.
