By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
WHAT began six years ago in Saipan on a single makeshift court in a dental office parking lot has officially reached the world stage. The Pickleball Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands has received an official invitation to compete in the 2026 Pickleball World Cup, set to take place in Da Nang, Vietnam, from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, 2026.
For a sport introduced to the island by Dr. Nelson Krum in 2020 with just five original players, the invitation marks a milestone in the CNMI’s sporting history.
“It’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to pickleball on the island,” said Krum, president of the PFNMI, in an interview with Variety. “Now, with almost 500 players, to be invited to compete at an international level is just huge — it is a huge win for Saipan to be considered one of the 80 countries competing in the World Cup.”
The World Cup, which is making its Asian debut, will feature a Major League Pickleball format requiring teams of at least two men and two women competing in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. If a tie occurs, the winner will be decided by a high-stakes singles “heartbreaker” match.
While the Pickleball Federation of the CNMI is eligible for five age categories, Krum said the immediate goal is to field competitive teams in three divisions.
“The selection process is ongoing now,” he said. “We opened it up to all players on the island who wished to apply, and out of that, we have about 30 applicants.”
Selection playoffs will begin this weekend.
The process will be rigorous, with players competing in a round-robin format where partners rotate each match to evaluate team performance. Most age groups will be finalized this weekend, while the highly competitive open division (ages 19–50), which has 13 applicants, is expected to take up to three weekends to complete.
The choice of Vietnam as host underscores the sport’s rapid global growth. Krum noted that Vietnam now has an estimated 18 million players, with 88% of the population familiar with the game — an awareness level that surpasses even the United States.
He also pointed to the sport’s expanding infrastructure, citing a recent meeting in Manila where plans were unveiled for “Helios,” a seven-story dedicated pickleball facility featuring a 2,000-seat rooftop exhibition court, slated to open in 2027.
Despite the scale of international competition, the CNMI remains undeterred.
“This World Cup allows only one professional per team, and we do not have any pros,” Krum said. “But that says what the level of competition is going to be.”
To ensure CNMI representation, the federation has launched a fundraising campaign aiming to raise $100,000 to send a delegation of 18 players and coaches to Vietnam. ( GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/7e77c79f9)
“My wife and I are going regardless, even if we don’t have funds for anyone else,” Krum said, emphasizing his commitment. “But we want the community to participate and let their friends know they can donate. We want to take our best to represent the islands.”
Community members can support Team Marianas through the federation’s official social media channels or its GoFundMe campaign.
The 2026 Pickleball World Cup promises to be the largest in history, and for Saipan — rising from five players to nearly 500 — it represents the realization of a dream that began on a parking lot court at Paradise Dental Spa just six years ago.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
