From D-Joy Upset to National Captain: Nguyen Dac Tien Leads Vietnam in Guilin
Andrew Lee"Captain's armband. Vietnam on his chest. Next-X in his hand." That is how Wika Pickleball introduces Nguyen Dac Tien, who is leading Team Vietnam at the China-ASEAN Pickleball Open 2026 in Guilin, China, from 30 Oct to 2 Nov.
About 32 Teams, Five Events
The field is about 32 teams, split into 8 groups for a round-robin stage. The top two teams in each group advance, and seeding is not used. From the round of 32, matches are played to three wins. Competition covers men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles, and each team can register up to 10 members: one delegation head, one coach, four men and four women.
The event implements an MoU between Vietnam's Sports Department and the Guangxi Sports Bureau, according to Nhan Dan.
Vietnam's Squad
Le Ngoc Anh, an Executive Committee member of the Vietnam Pickleball Federation, heads the delegation, and Nguyen Hai Long is the coach. Eight athletes are named as core players: Tran Tue Ngoc, Nguyen Dac Tien, Tran Huyen Trang, Pham Thi Thanh Binh, Nguyen Ngoc Minh Phuong, Pham Nhat Minh, Tran Anh Tu and Pham Xuan Vu.
The squad gathered on 28 Oct at Pickleball Happyland in Long Bien, Hanoi, where the delegation head and coach reviewed tactics and analysed regional rivals. Training covered movement drills, advanced dinking and internal matches. Nhan Dan reports that Dac Tien, as captain, said the players had trained seriously and kept their unity, and that the aim is to compete fully and bring medals home for Vietnamese sport. Dan Tri carries the same account.
A Captain With Recent Form
Dac Tien is a Wika Pickleball Team player, and the paddle in his hand is the Wika Next-X. Wika's caption puts it this way: "The forehand that inspired the Wika Next-X now drives for the flag."
His recent results include a mixed doubles round of 32 win at D-Joy Tour 2026 Leg 3, where he and Si Boi Ngoc beat Richard Livornese Jr. and Vivian Glozman, days after Livornese won Men's Pro Doubles gold at the Heineken Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang. Pickle361 covered that upset in September. At VTVcab Open 2026, he and Sophia Phuong Anh finished as runners-up in Mixed Doubles Open.
Malaysia Is in the Draw Too
Malaysia's 91 PickleBall Clubhouse says its Team 91 Pickleball is also competing at the China-ASEAN Pickleball Open 2026, representing Malaysia in China.
Play in Guilin runs to 2 Nov.
This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361.
