By Steve Drumwright – Red Line Editorial
There were close to 2,400 players across 287 divisions who participated in the 2025 USA Pickleball National Championships, but it would be hard to find two who enjoyed the experience more than Kim Sangmok and Yun Jongo.
Sangmok and Jongo made the bold decision to travel from their native South Korea to the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego to play the sport they love. The decision was even bolder when you consider that Sangmok and Jongo are wheelchair players.
They made a full weekend of their pickleball experience. Sangmok and Jongo teamed up in mixed doubles, then had standing partners for hybrid doubles and split up to play singles.
While the competitive wheelchair divisions at Nationals drew attention, the two South Koreans had their own entourage that stood out from their competitors. There were a handful of family and friends who also made the journey to root on Sangmok and Jongo.
So why did two South Koreans decide to compete at a U.S. championship?
“Because we like pickleball, but in Korea, there is not wheelchair pickleball tournaments,” Sangmok said. “So come here for travel and competition. I saw on Instagram many USA Pickleball players, wheelchair players, so it’s great to meet them. So very happy.”
Jongo doesn’t speak much English, so Sangmok translated his answers. But there was no translation needed when Jongo was asked why he enjoyed the sport.
He raised his arms and flexed his muscles and said, “Healthy,” meaning the sport helps him stay in good shape.
Despite a lack of opportunities in South Korea, the pair did well for themselves at Nationals. The two men finished fifth in mixed doubles (there was only one woman on the seven teams entered). Their first and last matches were some of the most entertaining of the day.
In their very first match of the tournament, Sangmok and Jongo, seeded fifth, took on Steve Paskiewicz of Cave Creek, Arizona, and Steve Bunch of Redondo Beach, California, the bracket’s No. 4 seed. It was a tense back-and-forth affair that lasted much longer than the typical match with the South Koreans rallying to pull out a 17-15 victory.
After that, they ran into the tournament’s top seed and eventual gold medalist in the second round, dropping a 15-1 decision. That sent the Sangmok and Jongo to the back draw, where they could battle back for a shot at a bronze medal. But they lost one stop short of that possibility in another match that went long and finished 12-10.
“Gold, silver, bronze, just medal, but we did not,” Sangmok said of their expectations, then with a slight laugh. “We failed; we lose.”
During their matches, Jongo would sometimes pick up the ball and sniff it, as if there might be something wrong with the ball or just that it had a good smell. But that wasn’t the case. Jongo said he did that to inspire good luck for the pair. Between matches, the duo could be seen interacting with other players, learning new techniques and just bonding over pickleball.
Neither has been playing pickleball very long. Sangmok said he has been playing for about two years, and Jongo for one year. They have been friends for the past year, meeting outside of pickleball.
Sangmok said their group was also using the trip as a vacation and, despite the rain that hindered several days of the tournament, they were really enjoying their first trip to America. They did some sightseeing and enjoyed American cuisine.
“Everything is very good to us,” Sangmok said.
Jongo chimed in that he really enjoyed hamburgers.
In hybrid doubles, they originally planned to play together as they didn’t have standing partners, but that changed. Sangmok was paired with Dorann Hurley of Surprise, Arizona, while Jongo teamed up with Lucy Gambescia of Buckeye, Arizona.
Neither team made it past the second round, and they had to face each other in the back draw. There, Sangmok and Hurley got the better of Jongo and Gambescia 15-4. However, Sangmok again fell just short of a try for a medal as he and Hurley lost their next match 15-10.
On the last day of Nationals, Sangmok and Jongo were on their own in co-ed singles under 4.0. They were both on the same side of the bracket, which meant a possible showdown between the South Koreans in the semifinals. However, Jongo dropped a spirited first-round match to Bunch 13-11, 11-6.
Sangmok easily won in the first round 11-2, 11-1 to earn a shot of revenge for his friend against Bunch. Sangmok took care of business and beat Bunch 11-3, 11-1 in the semifinals to earn a shot at gold.
Facing Edgar Vidriales of San Diego for the championship, Sangmok turned in a tremendous performance, but came up just short 12-10, 11-7 for the silver medal.
But more important than a trophy for the pair, Sangmok and Jongo left having made new friends and long-lasting memories.
Steve Drumwright is a journalist based in Murrieta, California. He is a freelance contributor to USA Pickleball on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
