The first Northern Paint, Printing Ink, and Chemical Pickleball Tournament, held in Hanoi on 19/4, served as a crucial "touchpoint" to connect various links in the industry's value chain. The event gathered over 100 athletes from more than 50 businesses across Vietnam's paint, printing ink, and chemical sectors, fostering interaction among manufacturers, raw material suppliers, distributors, and customers. Organizers selected pickleball for its accessibility and flexibility across age and skill levels, ensuring broad participation from diverse businesses.

Over 100 athletes pose for a commemorative photo on 19/4. Photo: Organizing committee

The tournament was established in response to the Vietnamese paint, printing ink, and chemical industries' deep transformation and expansion. With a growing number of businesses and diversifying partner networks, the industry association recognized the need for unique interaction spaces. These spaces allow businesses to connect naturally while maintaining clear organization and direction.

Vu Tien Dung, a representative of the organizing committee, emphasized that businesses in the sector are undergoing significant transformation, actively using environmentally friendly materials, reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) content, and improving production processes to save energy and manage risks. However, these individual efforts often lack coordination to establish common standards for the entire industry.

Award-winning athletes. Photo: Organizing committee

"We clearly define the tournament's goal as not just a standalone sports activity but creating a genuine connection space for the industry's business community," Dung stated. He added that when entities meet in an open, transparent, and highly interactive environment, collaborative relationships form more naturally and sustainably. Fostering a pickleball movement also establishes a long-term platform for exchange, where companies can compete, collaborate, share, and develop together.

The competition was designed with various skill levels, ensuring fairness and broadening interaction among businesses of different sizes and stages. This approach is crucial for forming multi-directional connections, from upstream businesses to intermediaries and distribution partners. In a supply chain increasingly demanding transparency and synchronization, these interactions offer value beyond sports activities, enabling businesses to access potential partners, update market trends, and identify bottlenecks in chain linkages.

Vu Tien Dung speaks about the tournament's role. Photo: Organizing committee

"From a long-term perspective, this is a shift from isolated connections to building an industry ecosystem. When businesses not only compete but also actively cooperate and share information, a new development foundation will gradually emerge, where efficiency stems not from individual links, but from the entire value chain's integration level," the representative explained.

Many athletes from the 50 participating businesses agreed that while the event is industry-level sports, from a management perspective, such networking platforms serve as connection spaces. They drive the business community's development towards modern, transparent, and internationally aligned standards.

Nguyen Thi Bach Yen (fourth from left), Chairwoman of the Vietnam Paint and Printing Ink Association, poses for a commemorative photo with the organizing committee. Photo: BTC

(Source: Vietnam Paint and Printing Ink Association)