Squash legend Jahangir Khan is backing Pakistan’s first ever international padel tournament which takes place in Karachi later this month.
Two years after opening Pakistan’s very first padel courts, the state-of-the-art Legends Arena in Karachi will host the APPT Grand Slam tournament and Asia’s top players from October 30 to November 2.
It is a significant milestone in padel’s development in Pakistan, which has seen phenomenal growth over the past two years.
Since Legends Arena opened the country’s first courts, Pakistan now boasts in the region of more than 350 courts with Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad the major padel hubs.
Pakistan has a rich racket sports history, yet padel’s growth in the country has largely gone unnoticed by the padel industry and media, despite having a similar amount of courts as the USA.
Hosting the APPT (Asia Pacific Padel Tour) is the first in a strategic step by Legends Arena to bring the focus on the rise of padel – and its potential – in the country.
The padel boom is also being backed by one of the country’s most famous sporting sons – six-time world champion squash player Jahangir Khan.
Khan, who is chairman of Legends Arena, believes the APPT tournament coming to Pakistan provides a great opportunity to showcase the sport, cement its status and give it a platform for further growth across the country.
As arguably the greatest squash player of all time, he also views the tournament as a chance for Pakistan’s rising padel players to demonstrate their talents and test themselves against the best on the continent.
Khan said: “When we started two years ago there was a lot of interest in padel but the standard wasn’t that high as everyone was just learning. But now, in two years, I can see it’s a very different standard of padel here.
“Having the international tournament here at Legends Arena will be a boost to the younger generation, especially those taking up this sport very seriously.
“It will also give our players the opportunity to see what level they are at. I am confident that in the future, we just might have some of the top players from here as well.”
The APPT has put a sharp focus on padel across Asia since its launch in 2023, with this year’s schedule featuring 34 events.
APPT CEO Carlos Carrillo said: “We are excited to come to Pakistan for the first time and bring international competition to the country.
“It is a pleasure to do so in collaboration with Legends Arena, one of the best venues we will visit this season, and with a team we have already worked with during the year, a team in which we have full confidence to deliver an outstanding event at the end of October.”
Talal Shah, CEO, Total Sports & Legends Arena, has been to APPT tournaments across the continent and is determined to make the tour’s presence in Karachi a memorable one.
“Bringing the Asia Pacific Padel Tour Grand Slam to Karachi is a proud moment for all of us at Legends Arena and for Pakistan’s growing padel community,” he said.
“This event is more than just a tournament, it is a clear statement that Pakistan, as a whole, has arrived on the global padel map.
“After Team Pakistan’s debut at the Asia Pacific Padel Cup in Kuala Lumpur and our participation at the Singapore Masters, hosting an international event of this scale at home marks the next big step in our journey.
“We are excited to welcome top talent from across the region and to showcase Pakistan as a hub for world-class sporting events.”
The APPT Grand Slam tournament, which has a total prize fund of US$13,000, features men’s and women’s professional tournaments as well as men’s, women’s and mixed amateur events.
Amateurs interested in competing have until 20th October 2025 to register.
Main pic credit: Nathan Clarke, PSA
