Ho Chi Minh City played host to the inaugural Vietnam Pickleball Awards on the evening of March 23, where Ly Hoang Nam was recognized as the “Best Male Athlete of the Year.” The former tennis player secured the top honor with a final score of 89.55 points, surpassing badminton player Trieu, who finished with 77.40 points, and Do Minh Quan, who placed third with 49.03 points.

Close Contest and Expert Influence

While Trieu initially led in the number of public votes with 7,672 compared to Ly Hoang Nam’s 7,603, the final outcome was determined by a weighted scoring system. Public votes accounted for 50% of the final score, with the remaining 50% derived from evaluations by a jury (30%) and an award expert council (20%). This weighting ultimately favored Ly Hoang Nam, recognizing his professional achievements and performances in international pickleball competitions.

Other Award Recipients

The awards ceremony celebrated excellence across various categories. Sophia Phuong Anh was a standout performer, achieving a hat-trick by winning three titles: Best Female Athlete of the Year, Best Women’s Doubles (with Sophia Huynh Tran), and Best Mixed Doubles (with Le Xuan Duc).

Do Minh Quan and Truong Vinh Hien were honored as the Best Men’s Doubles Players of the Year. Le Xuan Duc was named “Promising Young Male Athlete of the Year (Under 18),” while Suri Bao Han received the title of “Promising Young Female Athlete of the Year (Under 18).” Veteran players were also recognized, with Do Minh Quan winning “Best Male Athlete Over 40 of the Year” and Cao Thuy Dung claiming “Best Female Athlete Over 40 of the Year.”

Ly Hoang Nam’s Recent Successes

Ly Hoang Nam’s recognition follows a string of impressive performances on the PPA Tour Asia. He recently defeated world No. 2 Federico Staksrud at the PPA Asia Hangzhou Open 2025 and rose to second in the PPA Tour Asia men’s singles rankings.