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By el Amigo
MANILA — The Philippines hopes to turn its growing passion for pickleball into international success when a 38-player national delegation competes in the Pickleball World Cup in Danang, Vietnam, beginning Aug. 30.
The six-day tournament runs until Sept. 6 and features representatives from 70 nations, making this year’s edition one of the most competitive in the event’s history. More than 4,000 athletes are expected to see action in different age and skill divisions.
Leading the Philippine charge in the Open category is Ruben Gonzales, who will be making his debut for the country in pickleball after years as a member of the national tennis team.
“I’ve been with the national tennis team since 2010 and this is my first time playing for our country in pickleball,” Gonzales said Tuesday at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum in Manila.
Gonzales brings considerable international experience to the squad. He captured men’s doubles gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam alongside Treat Huey and later repeated the feat in Cambodia with Francis Casey Alcantara.
Nik Isagan, Kelsey Laurente and Fatima Amirul will also be part of the national team’s leading group.
Philippine Pickleball Federation president Shery Cu said the country’s rapid development in the sport has placed it under the international spotlight.
The Philippine delegation will compete in the Open, Under-18, Under-14, Kids and Seniors divisions. According to Cu, the roster was built through nearly six months of local competitions, with some players earning spots through rankings and others through tryouts.
Cu said the team is aiming for a podium finish, although Vietnam and the United States loom as formidable opponents.
Isagan, a former tennis player who shifted to pickleball in 2023, admitted the road to the podium will be difficult but said the team is ready for the challenge.
Laurente added that the Filipinos are determined to fight for gold.
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