Vadim and Maxim Maltsev are AlmaU students who came to pickleball from tennis. Today, they are professional players, founders of Twins Pickleball, and the first athletes from Kazakhstan to qualify for the World Pickleball Championship. In early September, the brothers competed in Vietnam. But their story is about more than reaching the international court.
Vadim studies Sports Management at AlmaU, while Maxim studies another field at the university. Together, they are preparing a graduation project aimed at popularizing and developing pickleball in Kazakhstan. The brothers are researching how clubs are established, tournaments are organized, and partners are attracted in other countries in order to propose practical steps for developing the sport in Kazakhstan. In the future, one of these steps could be the creation of a pickleball federation.
Vadim and Maxim are developing their brand, Twins Pickleball, and independently attracting partners and sponsors. They are supported by a sportswear brand and an Australian brand of pickleball equipment. The brothers’ medical partner is the well-known Almaty-based MetaBody clinic. They are currently discussing cooperation with an American brand.
Interest in racket sports is growing in Kazakhstan. According to the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation, more than 33,000 people played tennis in 2025. According to official data, the padel community brings together more than 1,500 players; at the time these data were published, there were 17 specialized courts in the country. Against this backdrop, the brothers see a particular opportunity for pickleball: getting started requires only basic equipment and a suitable space in a courtyard, school, or sports hall. This makes it possible to introduce students, schoolchildren, and families to the game without the cost of renting a specialized court.
Pickleball is also gaining momentum in Asia, showing positive growth dynamics for racket sports across the Asian region.
“I teach Sports Management at AlmaU, and I am impressed by how Vadim and Maxim are developing Twins Pickleball. They are already thinking not only as athletes, but also as entrepreneurs: they understand their audience, find partners, and build the club’s operations. Their example helps demonstrate what we teach our students: the sports industry is a business with its own processes, strategy, and responsibility. To make sport accessible to other people, passion alone is not enough – you need to know how to manage a project,” notes an AlmaU faculty member.
The brothers’ nearest plan is an open master class for AlmaU students. Vadim and Maxim will help participants learn the basics and try the game. If students want to continue training, pickleball could become a new direction for the university’s sports club. The AlmaU Sports Complex provides the project with a venue for this first step.
The brothers have four more international pickleball events ahead: Germany – October 2026, Türkiye – November 2026, Argentina – 2026, Greece – 2027. At the same time, they will continue developing Twins Pickleball. Their story shows how experience in sports and knowledge of sports management can help build a career and introduce a new sport to other people.
Sports Management is much more than working with athletes and coaches. It includes managing clubs, federations, and sports facilities; organizing tournaments; finding sponsors; marketing and working with fans; and developing youth and grassroots sports. The field needs people who can work with budgets and data, build partnerships, assemble teams, and turn ideas into projects.
At the AlmaU Sports Management Center, students with experience in different sports come together. They share practical experience, learn about other disciplines, and learn to apply their knowledge in real projects. We welcome not only those who step onto the court themselves, but also future organizers, entrepreneurs, and managers – everyone who wants to work professionally in the sports industry and contribute to its development.
We are very proud of our students’ achievements and are happy to support their projects in sport!