Asia's Top Pickleball Player Leads Hong Kong's Strongest Squad to World Cup in Vietnam
On.cc · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Pickleball team will compete at the Pickleball World Cup 2026 in Da Nang, Vietnam next month with its strongest-ever squad. The team of 26 players was selected through an extensive public tryout organized by the Hong Kong Tennis Association in collaboration with Sino Group's "Hong Kong Pickleball Elite Training and Community Promotion Programme." The squad features Asia's top-ranked male player Wang Kangjie as captain and includes Hong Kong's top female player Deng Nuoyao, alongside Olympic medalist Chen Nianci, who will represent Hong Kong for the first time in pickleball after a 38-year gap since her last national team appearance.
Key Points
- The squad comprises 26 players (13 men and 13 women) selected from over 200 applicants aged 12 to 71
- Wang Kangjie (Asia's No.1 male player) appointed team captain; Deng Nuoyao (Hong Kong's No.1 female player) also recruited
- The team includes 16 champions from the selection tournament, 8 wildcard players, plus 2 recruited under competition rules
- Chen Nianci, 1988 Olympic badminton bronze medalist, will compete in the women's master category at age 60+
- The 5-day selection event featured four age divisions: Youth, Open, Advanced (50-60), and Master (60+)
Why It Matters
This represents the most inclusive and representative Hong Kong pickleball team in history, demonstrating the sport's accessibility across generations while providing elite competition experience for aspiring athletes like youth player Liang Yalin, who plans to pursue a career in sports management after completing her DSE examinations .
This represents the most inclusive and representative Hong Kong pickleball team in history, demonstrating the sport's accessibility across generations while providing elite competition experience for aspiring athletes like youth player Liang Yalin, who plans to pursue a career in sports management after completing her DSE examinations .