“HAUNTED”
Around the world, the plinks and pops of pickleball have spawned outrage, provoking protests and even lawsuits.
But Vietnam’s widespread embrace of the sport, and its cities’ rapid growth in recent decades as the economy boomed, help explain the intense frustration.
Ho Chi Minh City already ranks among the loudest cities in Asia, according to the United Nations, with noise pollution levels high enough to damage hearing.
And experts say pickleball sounds are louder and higher-pitched than tennis or badminton.
A nationwide noise ordinance is supposed to limit the din, especially late at night, but residents say the courtside clatter often goes unmuted.
Hanoi high school student Duong, 16, cannot focus on his homework.
“The sound made by this ball is very unpleasant,” he said. “My mind feels blank because I cannot concentrate.”
Vietnam’s sports ministry did not reply to AFP’s request for comment.
But pressure is building to smash the problem, with state media carrying health warnings from doctors.
“The constant bouncing of the pickleball is not only annoying but also subtly triggers stress, disrupts sleep, and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease,” according to state-run VTC News website.
Ball strikes register “like the ticking of a clock against the temples”, it said this month, adding many people are “haunted by the sound of popping”.
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