International Padel Federation (FIP) and its continental body, Padel Asia, announced a historic milestone in the development of the sport on Monday: padel has officially been recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and is set to be included as an official sport in the upcoming editions of the Asian Games.
The Council noted that the recognition will further support the growth of padel globally, and particularly across Asia, through its formal inclusion in future Asian games, according to a press release.
The milestone follows padel’s recent inclusion in the European Games 2023, the South American Games 2022 and the upcoming Mediterranean Games 2026, writes Sports News Blitz‘s Shameeka Voyiya.
Luigi Carraro, FIP president, expressed his excitement in a press release, stating: “It is with great enthusiasm and pride that we welcome the news that the OCA has unanimously decided to recognise Padel as an official sport of the Asian Games.
“The timing of this announcement, coinciding with the FIP World Cup Pairs in Kuwait, is perfect — a testament to how padel is increasingly becoming a global sport and a major presence both in Asia and around the world.”
Padel has experienced significant growth in Asia, with now over 4600 courts across 1700 clubs in more than 30 countries.
This has been supported by the establishment of Padel Asia through strengthening governance and accelerating the development of the sport.
“FIP will keep working night and day for the nearly-100 national federations we represent – and all stakeholders in the Padel ecosystem – developing men’s, women’s, youth, amateur and professional Padel in all five corners of the world,” said Carraro.
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Dr. Husain A. H. Z. Al-Musallam, who is the Director General at OCA, stated: “[Padel’s] inclusion in the Asian Games reflects our commitment to embracing emerging sports that unite people and embody the Olympic values of friendship, respect, and excellence.”
The inclusion of padel in the Asian Games aims to provide a platform for athletes to showcase their talent on a global sporting stage, and the announcement coincides with the highly anticipated inaugural FIP World Cup Pairs held last week in Kuwait.
The next Asian Game editions are scheduled for 2026, with two major events on the calendar: Asian Beach Games in China (22–30 April 2026), and the Asian Games in Japan (19 September–4 October 2026).
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Bristol hosted its first padel tournament for deaf and hard of hearing players at Rocket Padel in St Annes on Sunday, the first of its kind approved by the Lawn & Tennis (LTA), highlighting inclusivity spearheaded by this fast growing sport.
The tournament kicked off at Rocket Padel – the largest indoor centre in England – with about 52 participants from around the country, writes Sports News Blitz’s padel journalist Shameeka Voyiya.
Padel is one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, with courts being built across the country at a rapid rate and over 400 000 people participating in the UK alone.
This is a stark rise compared to only 129 000 players at the end of 2023.
“Padel is one of the fastest-growing activities that I have ever seen in my life,” Mark Gill, community development officer at the Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (CfD), told the BBC.
“It’s provided an opportunity for deaf people in the deaf community to be role models and to demonstrate [that] there is a thriving world here, there’s a thriving community.”
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Growing up, Mr Gill said he had always loved sport, but it was not always easy to get involved.
“There [were] a lot of barriers to communicating with hearing people and that led to a lot of frustrations at school,” he said.
He said he would like for coaches to have mandatory deaf awareness training, so that they can adapt their activities to be more inclusive for deaf people.
Organised after CfD was awarded the government’s Small Communities Grant, the tournament was the first-ever LTA-sanctioned deaf padel tournament where players could get ranking points.
Additionally, the grant money led to the establishment of Bristol Deaf Padel, which launched earlier this year.
Sebastian Cunliffe, organiser of Bristol Deaf Padel, said he said he feels “proud” of the collective that they have built and that their numbers are ever-growing.
“We’ve brought in people that necessarily would not have played sport, but also a diverse mix and all genders,” he said.
Cunliffe said that padel has a “great benefit on mental health and fitness”.
“There’s something about padel. When you play it, you’re just in the moment, engrossed,” he said.
“I’ve also noticed some people that weren’t necessarily involved in the deaf community now regularly come to padel and I can see how much that benefits them.”
Meanwhile, the European Deaf Padel Championship is set to take place in May 2026 to highlight the popularity of the sport in the deaf and hard of hearing world.
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The United States triumphed over Great Britain in a thrilling finale to the first-ever Anglo American Padel Cup, held at Padel Hub North London, capturing the title with a 53–43 victory.
The groundbreaking international padel tournament featured 64 elite athletes and marked a new chapter in the storied sporting rivalry between the two nations.
The Anglo American Padel Cup has already established itself as the most significant transatlantic padel competition to date, bringing together top-tier talent from both sides of the Atlantic.
Over two action-packed days, players competed across 48 matches, thrilling packed crowds and online audiences with world-class shotmaking and sportsmanship.
Team USA took a commanding 25–15 lead after Day One, but Team Great Britain came roaring back on Day Two.
Early victories from GB’s mixed pairs, Laura Jackson & George Weller, and Alice Keddie & Rafa Vega, narrowed the gap as the hosts surged ahead to a 37–35 lead by mid-afternoon.
With just two matches remaining after 46 fiercely contested battles, the Anglo American Padel Cup hung in the balance.
Team GB needed to win both to claim the title. However, the U.S. veterans Ron Bobman and Tom Bartzen delivered under pressure, defeating Britain’s Sandy Case and Minter Dial in the Men’s 60+ division to secure the Cup for Team USA.
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Even with victory decided, the final match kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The Women’s Open No. 2 pairs, Dhany Quevedo and Antonella Santeusanio (USA) versus Alice Keddie and Victoria Nicholas (GB) delivered an unforgettable 7–6, 7–6 duel filled with dazzling rallies and emotional energy.
The crowd’s cheers reflected the shared pride of both nations in a match that perfectly capped off the inaugural competition.
Event founders Bill Ullman, Ben Nichols and Joelle Quinn praised both teams and supporters.
“Our congratulations to Team USA for winning the first-ever Anglo American Padel Cup,” they said.
“This event turned out to be many things an extraordinarily exciting competition, a new chapter in the historic sporting rivalry between the U.S. and Great Britain, and a showcase for the incredible padel talent emerging in both countries.”
They also expressed gratitude to title partners Playtomic and Babolat, whose backing helped bring the event to life.
“Most of all, we thank the players — true pioneers who made this first edition possible. We can’t wait for next year’s Anglo American Padel Cup in the USA.”
Team USA Women’s Co-Captains Ana Magrini and Lisa Teer hailed the event as a turning point for elite international padel competitions, saying: “We are so proud and honored to have represented the U.S. against Great Britain.
“The Anglo American Padel Cup has set a new benchmark for how international padel tournaments should be run. We leave with a trophy and lifelong friendships.”
The success of the Anglo American Padel Cup 2025 cements its place as a cornerstone of the global padel calendar.
With the 2026 edition set to take place in the United States, excitement is already building for what promises to be an even bigger and more competitive sequel in the world’s fastest-growing racket sport.
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