Stupa Sports is expanding its presence across Southeast Asia through a new strategic partnership with D-Joy Pickleball, a professional club, training academy and tournament organiser based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The partnership will bring Stupa’s AI-powered sports technology to two major D-Joy events this year, while both sides have also agreed to continue the collaboration into 2027.
Key Points:
- Stupa Sports' advanced AI tech will power the D-Joy Pickleball Tour – Leg 3 (September) and D-Joy Vietnam Masters 2026 (November).
- A long-term Memorandum of Understanding ensures the partnership extends into 2027, solidifying a tech-driven future for Vietnamese pickleball.
- The integrated system includes AI-powered officiating (VAR), real-time performance analytics for players, and enhanced broadcast data.
- This collaboration aims to boost officiating accuracy, elevate player development, and provide a superior fan experience across Southeast Asia.
Stupa Technology Comes to D-Joy’s Major Events
Under the partnership, Stupa will provide an integrated technology ecosystem across D-Joy’s competitions. The first deployment will come at the D-Joy Pickleball Tour – Leg 3, running from September 9 to 13, followed by the D-Joy Vietnam Masters 2026 from November 24 to 29.
The technology will cover several areas of the tournament experience, including officiating, performance analysis and broadcasting. Officials will be able to use AI-driven VAR to support line and match decisions, while players and coaches can access detailed insights through Stupa’s Match Analytics platform.
The system tracks areas including serving and returning, rally patterns, shot performance, errors, point distribution, leads and winning trends. Broadcasters will also be able to use 3D graphics powered by real-time match data to enhance tournament coverage.
Technology Playing a Bigger Role in Pickleball
For Stupa Sports, the partnership reflects the growing role of technology in professional pickleball. This enhanced visual storytelling elevates engagement, making pickleball more accessible and exciting for both seasoned fans and newcomers.
Stupa Co-Founder and CEO Megha Gambhir said pickleball is developing rapidly as a global sport, with technology set to influence how matches are officiated, analysed and experienced. She added that the D-Joy partnership will support two key tournaments in 2026 while also creating the foundation for a longer-term relationship.
D-Joy Tournament Director Hoang Hai Thuy described the partnership as an important milestone for the club, highlighting its potential to improve officiating accuracy, provide deeper performance insights and enhance the experience for both players and audiences.
Stupa Continues Global Racquet Sports Expansion
The D-Joy partnership adds to Stupa Sports’ growing international presence across racquet sports. The company has expanded its AI-powered solutions across officiating, live scoring, tournament management, broadcast intelligence and performance analysis.
Its recent deployments across pickleball, badminton, table tennis and padel further highlight Stupa’s growing role in the wider global sports ecosystem.
