EXCLUSIVE by RJ Mitchell
GB Men’s Team National Coach John Leach has described the prospect of his players starring at an Olympics as “the ultimate goal”.
One Wednesday The Padel Paper revealed that in an article published by respected Spanish sports daily Marca, Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, said he was: “sure that very soon we will see padel among the great Olympic sports”.
While speaking at the launch of the Madrid Premier Padel P1, which will take place from August 1-6 at the 15,000-capacity WiZink Center, Joan Cuscó, president of Madrid Premier Padel and Octagon Spain, said: “In the future, padel tennis is a sport that has to aspire to be in the Olympics. There is a way to go and hard work ahead, but I am sure we will achieve it.”
Leach, who is currently taking in the Paris Major Premier Padel at Roland-Garros, has no doubt that FIP’s hosting of bespoke events at such iconic venues as the historic home of French tennis in the Bois de Boulogne can only help further drive padel into the welcoming arms of the Olympic family.
He said: “It would really be the ultimate goal for any of our players to represent Great Britain in an Olympics, it would be the epitome of the sport.
“If padel became an Olympic sport it would be unbelievable and it would take it to another level. Everybody aspires to play at the very top and if padel were in the Olympics it would make it truly global.
“I don’t know how close it is but certainly from the comments from Spain it seems to be getting closer and we just have to hope that it happens sometime soon.
“Padel is growing everywhere in the world, everybody loves it and it is a very sociable sport – and for me that is what is driving the participation and growth. I think it is only a matter of time before it will happen but it is very exciting to hear that level of belief from Spain that it can be included in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of sport.
“Truly to be part of the Olympics would be unbelievable and it would also give every nation an opportunity to compete in padel, which I think is one of the fantastic things about the Olympics.
“I guess it will depend on the number of countries playing padel and also participation figures but all of that is going in the right direction and very quickly, really everything is positive around this..”
Leach has been on a fact-finding and scouting mission as he assesses possible rival opposition who may face his team in the play-offs for the World Cup later this year. And he has no doubt after experiencing the Paris Major Premier Padel first hand that this type of event will only help fast-track the sport to achieve its ultimate aim.
The GB Men’s Team coach said: “The more events we have at venues like Roland-Garros, which is a globally admired iconic venue with all that it stands for and we have a fantastic padel event taking place there, can only help with the promotion for the sport.
“I have no doubt that this type of thing can only help accelerate padel into the Olympics.”
Talking about the impressive set-up at the event, he added: “I arrived yesterday on Bastille Day and it is very well set up. You have centre court on Philippe Chatrier with four courts to the side. You can access all the courts and there is a superb hospitality village. The atmosphere and the experience is fantastic.
“Things really got going yesterday and it’s a bit like at the Foro Italico for the Italy Major with a full court on central for the last 16 matches and of course it’s a national holiday, so it’s looking like a sell-out.
“The top tier on Chatrier is blocked out but the total capacity is just over 15,000, so I would estimate at around 10,000 being here for the later stages every day through to the finals.”
Reflecting on the positive impact that Olympic inclusion had on tennis when it was readmitted in 1988 after two demonstration sport outings in 1968 and 1984, Leach, a former tennis pro, sees only positives.
He said: “Tennis is a bit different in that they have the Slam events so I don’t know if Olympics are quite the same, but then you look at Andy Murray winning gold and coming back to defend his medal it would be off the scale for our padel players to play in an Olympics.
“Also back in ’88 Steffi Graf won the first Olympic gold and then went onto win the Golden Slam with holding all four Grand Slams while Miloslav Mečíř was the men’s winner in Seoul and what a story that was.
“So you look at all of that and think: ‘Just what could Olympic entry do for padel?’”
The only frustration from Leach’s French sojourn was the lack of any British presence in the French capital’s 16th arrondissement. He added: “Sam (Jones) and Christian (Murphy) did enter, but it is a slightly smaller draw and it was very frustrating as they were in that bracket for the qualis. But unfortunately they just missed out so I just wanted to come out and experience the event for myself and do a bit of homework.
“To be fair to FIP they have put on a fabulous event.”
