The International Padel Federation (FIP) has unveiled a special project aimed at securing padel’s inclusion in the Olympic Games.
At the world governing body’s 34th General Assembly in Doha earlier this week, President Luigi Carraro outlined FIP’s “Olympic vision” and announced the appointment of Argentine Padel Federation President, Santiago Brito, as Advisor for its new ‘Olympic Project’.
The sporting programme for Los Angeles 2028 has already been announced (including squash for the first time), but the sports for Brisbane 2032 are set to be revealed in 2027. Although that is padel’s first target, some feel the 2036 Olympics may be more realistic, especially as strong rumours suggest that the host city could be Doha.
Padel’s rapid globalisation, strong and unified governance and backing from the powerful Qatar Sports Investments is believed by many to give it an excellent chance of one day being included in the greatest sporting show on earth. Pickleball has also expressed Olympic ambitions, but its somewhat chaotic governance (with several organisations battling for global governing body status) is believed to be a significant hindrance.
Padel has already begun lobbying – President Carraro was pictured with International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, at last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. According to a press release, they discussed “the principles of friendship, peace and unity that sport shines across the world.”
At this week’s General Assembly, newly-appointed Olympic Project Advisor Brito said: “Every morning, we wake up with the hope that the padel racket might one day be united with the five Olympic rings.
“We work toward this with the seriousness, concreteness and respect that this ambition demands. Every sports person, whether an athlete or an executive, dreams of the Olympics, and we pursue this dream step by step, optimistic but realistic.
“In the last two years, padel has been showcased at the South American Games in Asunción in 2022, the European Games in Kraków, the Gymnasiad in Bahrain, and it will feature at the Panamerican Junior Games in 2025 and the Mediterranean Games in Italy in 2026. These events bring us closer to our ultimate dream.”
Also at the General Assemby, FIP President Carraro was unanimously re-elected by 85% of member nations. He said: “Your trust honours and moves me. Feeling it here, in person, from each of you, serves as even more motivation to build the future of padel, just as we have done so far, together.”
Additionally, six new federations — Andorra, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Romania and Jordan — were officially welcomed, bringing the number of federations to 87 (from 32 in 2019). Carraro said: “We’re not stopping here; we want the number of affiliated federations to keep rising, as padel is now played in 150 countries.”
Carraro also announced the creation of “Padel Asia”, chaired by QTF Secretary General Tariq Darwish Zainal, after confirming Ramon Morcillo as President of Padel Europe and Jorge Mañe as President of Padel America.
He continued: “Padel is now played in 150 countries by 30 million players. In 2018, it was just 50 countries, with eight million players mainly concentrated in a few nations. Before 2018, 85% of courts were in Spain and Argentina, to which we give due credit, but today 65% of courts are spread worldwide.
“This global expansion is an increasing engine for us. Since the beginning of my presidency, courts have tripled, reaching 66.000 globally, and every time someone picks up a racket for the first time, it’s a celebration for us all.”
