Stupa Sports, the world’s leading AI-powered sports technology and analytics firm, has announced a strategic partnership with D-Joy Pickleball, a professional pickleball club, training academy, and tournament organiser based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to power two major pickleball events in 2026 with AI-driven sports technology solutions.
The cooperation will see Stupa Sports implement its technology at the D-Joy Pickleball Tour – Leg 3, which will take place from September 9 to 13, 2026, and the D-Joy Vietnam Masters 2026, which will take place from November 24 to 29, 2026. The relationship will also continue into 2027, with Stupa Sports and D-Joy Pickleball signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deliver Stupa’s technology to D-Joy’s future pickleball tournaments next year.
As part of the agreement, Stupa Sports will offer an integrated technology ecosystem for both events and competitions, combining AI-powered officiating, real-time performance intelligence, and broadcast data to improve how pickleball is officiated, analysed, and presented to players, coaches, organisers, and audiences.
The following will be included in the technological deployment:
●AI-powered VAR (Video Assistant Referee): Stupa Sports’ AI-powered VAR will help officials make crucial line and match decisions, improving officiating’s precision, consistency, and transparency.
●Live & Post-Match Analytics: Serving and returning, rally patterns, shot performance, mistakes, point distribution, leads, and winning patterns are just a few of the important aspects of player and match performance that Stupa’s Match Analytics platform will offer in real-time and after the game. Players, coaches, commentators, and spectators will have a richer understanding of match dynamics and performance thanks to the data.
●Data for 3D Broadcast Graphics: Stupa Sports will supply dynamic 3D graphics for live broadcasts using real-time match data, allowing for better visual storytelling and providing viewers with a greater comprehension of the action as matches progress.
The partnership takes place as pickleball continues to grow quickly throughout Asia and the world, with technology playing a bigger role in professional competitions. By incorporating broadcast data, match intelligence, and AI-powered officiating into its events, D-Joy hopes to provide athletes and coaches a greater understanding of performance while also delivering a more consistent and captivating experience.
Megha Gambhir, Co-Founder & CEO, Stupa Sports, said, “Pickleball is evolving rapidly as a global sport, and technology will play an important role in shaping how the game is officiated, analysed and experienced. Our partnership with D-Joy Pickleball allows us to bring together AI-powered VAR, real-time match intelligence, and broadcast data across two important tournaments, while also laying the foundation for a longer-term collaboration. We are excited to support D-Joy as it continues to develop professional pickleball in Vietnam and look forward to expanding this collaboration across its events in the years ahead.”
Hoang Hai Thuy, Tournament Director at D-Joy Pickleball, stated, “This partnership marks an important milestone for D-Joy as we integrate Stupa Sports’ cutting-edge AI technology into our tournaments. It enhances officiating accuracy, delivers deeper performance insights, and elevates the overall experience for players and audiences. We are excited to work with Stupa on this long-term collaboration to drive the growth of professional pickleball in Vietnam and the region.”
The cooperation expands Stupa Sports’ worldwide foothold in racquet sports and solidifies its position as an Indian business developing enterprise-grade AI solutions for the global sports ecosystem. Over the last several years, the business has moved beyond performance analytics to create innovative solutions for officiating, live scoring, tournament administration, broadcast intelligence, and AI-powered performance analysis.
The D-Joy Pickleball cooperation further strengthens Stupa Sports’ growing presence in the global sports ecosystem. Much like its recent landmark milestones, such as its multi-year partnership with Pickleball England, appointment as the Official Competition Management Partner for Table Tennis New Zealand (TTNZ), the BWF certification of its AI-powered Instant Review System for all sanctioned badminton tournaments, its role as Data and Technology Partner for the Pickleball Champions League Asia Finals, and the deployment of Stupa Cast for the Generali Hexagon Cup Padel
