My First APPC in Kuala Lumpur – Fighting Our Way to 5th Place
his past weekend I had the honor of representing Thailand in the Asia Pacific Padel Cup (APPC) 2025, held at Joy Division 2 in Kuala Lumpur. What an amazing atmosphere – eight nations came together, with the same passion for padel and the dream to make history for their countries.
Group Stage Success 🇹🇭
I was proud to play in Thailand’s first match of the event. We opened strong against South Korea, taking a 5–0 win across all categories. It was the perfect way to start the tournament and gave us great momentum.
In our second group-stage match, we faced India. They were very tough and we lost 0–5, but because of our strong start, we still managed to finish second place in our group.
Quarterfinal Drama ⚡
The organizers decided to change the format and create a quarterfinal round with the 2nd place team from one group facing the 3rd place team from the other group.
That put us up against Malaysia – the home favorites. It was a hard-fought tie, but Malaysia proved too strong and knocked us out of the main draw.
The Consolation Path 💪
From there, we moved into the consolation bracket. Our mindset was simple: fight for every point and show that Thailand belongs on this stage.
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Consolation Semi-Final: We defeated South Korea again with a solid team performance.
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Consolation Final: We faced Pakistan in a winner-takes-5th battle.
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In the men’s match, Suphawat and I fought hard but lost 0–2.
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In the mixed match, Kridchaya and Dares stepped up with a 2–0 win.
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Everything came down to the women’s match, where Lara and Natalie played an incredible decider, winning 2–1 to secure Thailand’s fifth place overall!
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Reflections 🌍
This APPC was my first taste of international team padel, and it’s something I’ll never forget. To compete against players from eight countries and feel the energy of a true continental championship was a huge step forward in my journey.
Yes, we wanted to go further, but I’m proud of our team spirit, the way we fought, and the fact that we finished with a victory against Pakistan in the consolation final.
What’s Next 🚀
This result motivates me even more to train harder and aim higher. Thailand is on the rise in padel, and with the support of our community, we’ll keep pushing forward.
Congratulations to the Philippines, who won the title against Hong Kong, and respect to every team that competed.
For me personally, this was just the beginning. I’ll carry these experiences with me into every match, and I can’t wait for what’s next.
Mario 🎾🇹🇭
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