SAIPAN — Six years ago, the idea that a few people hitting a plastic ball across a net in a parking lot would one day represent the Northern Mariana Islands at a world championship would have sounded far-fetched. This August, it becomes real.
Athletes from the Pickleball Federation of the Northern Mariana Islands will travel more than 2,000 miles across the Pacific to compete in the 2026 Pickleball World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam, joining nearly 4,000 athletes from more than 80 countries and territories in one of the fastest-growing sporting events in the world. For the federation, it marks the first time the CNMI will compete on a stage that large.
The story began on June 20, 2020, at Paradise Dental Spa, where Dr. Nelson Krum introduced the sport to friends and community members looking for exercise and camaraderie. At the time, few people on Saipan had heard of pickleball. What started as an informal gathering grew into a community service project, and Krum is now widely known as the father of pickleball in the CNMI. Under his lead and with the work of volunteers, players and supporters, the sport grew into a federation that now counts more than 500 members.
The federation said its growth was never handed to it. Without major sponsorships or ready-made facilities, members raised money through raffles and donations and put in long hours of volunteer labor. When they needed courts, players cleared land, painted surfaces and assembled fencing themselves, building what is now the home of pickleball in the CNMI at Capitol Hill. The federation credited Triple J Enterprises, Paradise Dental Spa, Bridge Capital, Saipan Travel Inc. and AP Inc. among the local companies that supported the effort.
On any given day at the Capitol Hill courts, players from around the world who call the islands home share the courts in a mix of languages, a reflection, the federation said, of the CNMI’s own diversity. The sport has drawn retirees, working professionals, families and young athletes, with youth players now finding opportunities in scholarships, elite competition and international travel.
The federation said this year’s World Cup run carries added weight because it comes as the CNMI continues to recover from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which caused widespread destruction across the islands. Many members kept practicing through power outages and damaged homes, and the federation has come to view the trip as a symbol of resilience.
As the federation marks its sixth anniversary this week, members said the journey from a handful of paddles and a borrowed parking lot to a team carrying the Commonwealth’s flag into a World Cup opening ceremony reflects six years of vision, volunteerism and friendship.
Community members who want to help Team CNMI reach the World Cup can contribute through the federation’s fundraising campaign, which the federation said helps offset travel, lodging, uniforms and competition costs for the athletes.
