Editing World Paintball Championship (Thailand)

'''World Paintball Championship''' ('''WPC''') is the name used by an international competitive paintball tournament series held in Thailand. Documented editions took place in 2017, 2018 and 2019, attracting teams from Thailand and other countries across Asia and Europe.

The 2017 championship was held at [[Pattana Golf Club & Resort]] in Si Racha, Chonburi Province, from 1 to 3 December. Contemporary Thai reporting recorded 40 participating teams from 11 countries, competing in national-team and club divisions.[1]

The competition included a [[Nations Cup (paintball)|Nations Cup]] and multiple divisions of five-player tournament paintball. The Nations Cup at the 2017 event was won by Poland, ahead of Thailand, France and Malaysia.

Subsequent editions in 2018 and 2019 are documented in the PBLeagues tournament archive. The event should be distinguished from other competitions using the name World Paintball Championship.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ World Paintball Championship (Thailand)
|-
! Name
| World Paintball Championship
|-
! Abbreviation
| WPC
|-
! Sport
| [[Paintball]]
|-
! Discipline
| [[Speedball]]
|-
! Type
| International paintball tournament
|-
! Country
| Thailand
|-
! First documented edition
| 2017
|-
! Documented editions
| 2017, 2018, 2019
|-
! 2017 venue
| [[Pattana Golf Club & Resort]], Si Racha, Chonburi
|-
! Competition formats
| Nations Cup; Race-to-4; Race-to-3; Race-to-2; mercy-limit formats
|-
! International participation
| Yes
|-
! 2017 participation
| 40 teams from 11 countries
|-
! 2017 Nations Cup winner
| Poland
|-
! Organising body
| Not conclusively established
|-
! Current status
| Historical editions documented; continuity after 2019 not established
|}

== History ==

=== Background ===

Thailand developed an established competitive paintball scene during the 2000s and 2010s.

The country hosted events associated with the [[Paintball Asia League Series]] and [[Thailand Paintball Official Circuit]], attracting international teams from across Southeast Asia and other regions.

The World Paintball Championship became another international event in Thailand's competitive tournament calendar during the late 2010s.

The first edition independently documented in the sources examined took place in December 2017.

The available evidence does not establish whether the championship had earlier editions under the same name.

=== World Paintball Championship 2017 ===

The 2017 World Paintball Championship took place from 1 to 3 December at Pattana Golf Club & Resort in Si Racha, Chonburi Province.[1]

Contemporary Thai press reporting documented participation by 40 teams representing 11 countries.

The competition included national-team competition and three club divisions.

The event attracted representatives of the Chonburi provincial sporting community.

A Thai press release dated 7 December 2017 reported that Samrit Pongwirat, secretary-general of the Chonburi Provincial Sports Association, attended the championship on behalf of the association's president, Sonthaya Khunpluem.

Thomas Tapken, managing director of Pattana Golf Club & Resort, welcomed the visiting representatives.

The event was also reported by Pattaya Mail in March 2018, which identified Songpol Acha-aisawan and the championship organising committee.[2]

=== Nations Cup 2017 ===

The 2017 championship included a national-team competition.

The results published in Thai media were:

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! National team
|-
| 1st
| Poland
|-
| 2nd
| Thailand
|-
| 3rd
| France
|-
| 4th
| Malaysia
|}

Thailand's second-place finish was highlighted in contemporary Thai sports reporting.[1]

The Nations Cup formed a distinct part of the championship alongside the club-team divisions.

The exact nationality eligibility rules used for the 2017 Nations Cup have not been established from the sources examined.

=== Club competition 2017 ===

The 2017 championship included three club competition formats.

Archived PBLeagues team histories identify:

* WPC RaceTo-4 Format — nine teams
* WPC RaceTo-3 Format — seven teams
* WPC RaceTo-2 Format — twelve teams

These divisions accommodated teams competing at different levels.

The Race-to-4 division included Thai and Malaysian teams, while the other divisions attracted additional international participants.

=== Race-to-4 results ===

Archived PBLeagues records establish the following results in the 2017 Race-to-4 division:

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
! Country
|-
| 1st
| DUCKSIDE AISAWAN
| Malaysia
|-
| 2nd
| Infernal
| Thailand
|-
| 6th
| SPEED
| Thailand
|-
| 8th
| Riot Crew
| Malaysia
|-
| 9th
| Virgin Aisawan
| Thailand
|}

Only independently confirmed placements are included.

The results demonstrate the strength of Malaysian and Thai teams in the highest documented club division.[3][4][5]

=== Race-to-3 results ===

The 2017 Race-to-3 division contained seven teams.

Documented competitors included:

* Republik CMX — Malaysia, fourth place
* KAMIKAZE KINGS — Malaysia, sixth place
* Paint Mechanix — India, seventh place

These results demonstrate participation from Malaysia and India in the intermediate competition.[6]

=== Race-to-2 results ===

The Race-to-2 division contained twelve teams.

Documented results included:

{| class="wikitable"
! Position
! Team
! Country
|-
| 2nd
| KEJAHATAN AISAWAN
| Malaysia
|-
| 4th
| We Are Legion Aisawan
| Singapore
|}

The participation of Singaporean and Malaysian teams reflected the championship's wider Southeast Asian reach.[7][8]

== World Paintball Championship 2018 ==

=== Event overview ===

The 2018 World Paintball Championship took place from 30 November to 2 December.

The event continued the international tournament format used in 2017.

PBLeagues records identify multiple divisions, including:

* Nations Cup 2018 — Mercy Limit 4
* WPC Open Division — Mercy Limit 4
* WPC Division 2 — Mercy Limit 3
* WPC Division 3 — Mercy Limit 2

The use of mercy-limit formats reflected the competition's adoption of contemporary tournament paintball scoring conventions.

=== Nations Cup 2018 ===

The 2018 Nations Cup included eight national-team entries.

Archived PBLeagues records confirm that Team Belgium finished third.

The complete national-team podium has not been established from the sources examined.

=== Open Division 2018 ===

The 2018 Open Division contained eight teams.

DUCKSIDE AISAWAN of Malaysia finished second.

Other documented entrants included Thailand's Inception and Brunei's Leakside Jokerz Aisawan.

The available records confirm continued international participation, although the complete final standings have not been reconstructed.

=== Other divisions ===

The 2018 event also included Division 2 and Division 3 competitions.

Archived records document participation by:

* SPEED — Thailand, Division 2
* SPEED Overshoot — Thailand, Division 3
* KEJAHATAN AISAWAN — Malaysia, Division 3
* Outlaws Uprising — Singapore, Division 3

These entries demonstrate the championship's continuing appeal to regional club teams.

== World Paintball Championship 2019 ==

=== Event overview ===

The 2019 World Paintball Championship took place from 29 November to 1 December.

PBLeagues records identify another international competition involving national teams and club divisions.

Documented divisions included:

* Nations Cup 2019 — Mercy Limit 4
* WPC Open Division — Mercy Limit 4
* WPC Division 2 — Mercy Limit 3
* WPC Division 3 — Mercy Limit 2

The available records confirm participation by teams from several countries.

=== National-team participation ===

The 2019 Nations Cup included Belgium among its registered national teams.

The complete participating country list and final national-team standings have not been independently established.

=== Club-team participation ===

Documented international participants included:

* DUCKSIDE AISAWAN — Malaysia, Open Division
* KAMIKAZE KINGS — Malaysia, Division 2
* KEJAHATAN AISAWAN — Malaysia, Division 3
* Outlaws Uprising — Singapore, Division 3
* SPEED Overshoot — Thailand, Division 3

The tournament continued to attract teams participating in other Southeast Asian competitive circuits.

== Competition structure ==

=== National-team competition ===

The World Paintball Championship included a Nations Cup featuring teams representing countries.

The 2017 competition was won by Poland.

The 2018 and 2019 tournament records also identify Nations Cup divisions.

The precise selection and eligibility requirements for national-team participation have not been established.

=== Club divisions ===

The championship also included competitions for established paintball teams.

The 2017 event used Race-to-4, Race-to-3 and Race-to-2 formats.

Later editions used Open, Division 2 and Division 3 classifications with mercy-limit formats.

These structures allowed teams of different competitive levels to participate in the same international event.

=== Tournament rules ===

The available registration and results records identify race-to and mercy-limit scoring formats.

However, the research has not established the complete rulebook, officiating arrangements or any formal relationship with a particular international governing body.

The event's name should not be taken as evidence that it was the sole or universally recognised world championship for paintball.

== Venues ==

=== Pattana Golf Club & Resort ===

The 2017 World Paintball Championship was held at [[Pattana Golf Club & Resort]] in Si Racha, Chonburi Province.

The resort provided the setting for a three-day international paintball competition.

Contemporary Thai reporting identifies the venue and confirms its involvement in hosting the event.[1][2]

The use of a resort venue demonstrated that international paintball tournaments in Thailand were not limited to permanent commercial paintball parks.

The precise field installation arrangements have not been independently established.

=== Later venues ===

The 2018 and 2019 championships are documented in tournament archives.

The exact venue details for these editions require additional confirmation before being added to the article.

== International participation ==

The World Paintball Championship attracted teams from multiple countries.

The 2017 event was reported to have 40 teams from 11 countries.

Tournament records independently identify teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and India, while the Nations Cup results document participation by Poland and France.

Later editions included competitors associated with Belgium, Brunei and other countries.

The championship therefore contributed to Thailand's role as a destination for international competitive paintball.

The event also formed part of a wider regional tournament environment in which teams regularly travelled between Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

== Relationship with other tournaments ==

The World Paintball Championship operated during a period of substantial international paintball activity in Southeast Asia.

Teams competing at WPC also participated in:

* [[Paintball Asia League Series]]
* [[Paintball World Cup Asia]]
* [[Thailand Paintball Official Circuit]]
* [[Singapore Paintball Series]]
* [[Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit]]
* [[NXL Asia]]

For example, Malaysia's DUCKSIDE AISAWAN competed in regional tournaments before winning the 2017 WPC Race-to-4 division.

Thailand's Infernal had previously competed in PALS and TPOC events.

These overlapping team histories demonstrate the interconnected nature of regional competitive paintball.

The available evidence does not establish that the World Paintball Championship was administratively part of any of those other tournament organisations.

== Historical significance ==

The World Paintball Championship was an important international competition in Thailand during the late 2010s.

Its significance included:

* Hosting international national-team and club competition
* Attracting 40 teams from 11 countries in 2017
* Providing opportunities for Thai teams to compete against international opponents
* Bringing European national teams into competition in Thailand
* Continuing annual tournament activity through at least 2019
* Supporting the development of international competitive paintball in Southeast Asia

Thailand's second-place Nations Cup result in 2017 was a notable achievement for the country's national-team competitors.

The championship also demonstrates the scale of international tournament travel and participation in Thailand during the period.

The records do not independently establish the import or export procedures used by individual competitors transporting paintball equipment.

== Timeline ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Date
! Event
|-
| 1–3 December 2017
| World Paintball Championship held at Pattana Golf Club & Resort, Chonburi
|-
| December 2017
| Poland wins Nations Cup; Thailand finishes second
|-
| 7 December 2017
| Thai press reports 40 teams from 11 countries
|-
| 30 November – 2 December 2018
| World Paintball Championship 2018 held
|-
| 29 November – 1 December 2019
| World Paintball Championship 2019 held
|}

== See also ==

* [[Paintball in Thailand]]
* [[Regulation of paintball in Thailand]]
* [[Thailand Paintball Official Circuit]]
* [[Paintball Asia League Series]]
* [[Paintball World Cup Asia]]
* [[Pattana Golf Club & Resort]]
* [[Nations Cup (paintball)]]
* [[Speedball]]

== References ==

# [https://www.ryt9.com/s/prg/2751361 "ภาพข่าว: ไทยรองแชมป์เวิลด์เพ้นท์บอลล์"], ThaiPR.net via RYT9, 7 December 2017. Contemporary report identifying the 2017 venue, 40 teams from 11 countries, and Nations Cup results.
# [https://www.pattayamail.com/socialscene/pattana-hosts-world-paintball-championship-203544 "Pattana hosts World Paintball Championship"], Pattaya Mail, 2 March 2018. Report identifying Pattana Golf Club & Resort and the organising committee.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/M2jdT0XKsMkgBoIk "DUCKSIDE"], PBLeagues. World Paintball Championship results for 2017–2019.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/tMujnXUwNzi0G7xB "Infernal"], PBLeagues. 2017 championship result and historical tournament participation.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/q9jsmkePSf2ruGM8 "SPEED"], PBLeagues. World Paintball Championship participation.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/UvySIvlzFPsHclMd "Republik CMX"], [https://pbleagues.com/team/LEC2H7zJSMVb0IMl "KAMIKAZE KINGS"], [https://pbleagues.com/team/fcpEXAjPeNk6qobf "Paint Mechanix"], PBLeagues. 2017 Race-to-3 results.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/MqmD2oN7b8o0bUKf "Budak Jahat / KEJAHATAN AISAWAN"], PBLeagues. 2017 Race-to-2 results and later championship participation.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/bcfZRQsu15PRF071 "We Are Legion Aisawan"], PBLeagues. 2017 Race-to-2 result.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/hhxeH5piSOjEOQIa "Belgium"], PBLeagues. 2018 and 2019 Nations Cup participation.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/FpceRinbmU3fIubX "Leakside Jokerz"], PBLeagues. Brunei participation in the 2018 championship.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/NhLOFNEM6x2BK2F9 "Outlaws Uprising"], PBLeagues. Singapore participation in the 2018 and 2019 championships.
# [https://pbleagues.com/team/rvYtBHbXlC3qdokq "SPEED Overshoot"], PBLeagues. Thai participation in the 2018 and 2019 championships.

== External links ==

* [https://pbleagues.com/ PBLeagues tournament archive]
* [https://www.pattayamail.com/socialscene/pattana-hosts-world-paintball-championship-203544 Pattaya Mail report on the championship]

[[Category:Paintball in Thailand]]
[[Category:Paintball tournaments in Thailand]]
[[Category:International paintball tournaments]]
[[Category:Paintball competitions in Asia]]