Padel Officially Competing at 2026 Japanese Asian Games

Padel has marked a new historical milestone. The sports discipline, which has become increasingly viral, has been officially designated as a medal event at the Asian Games in Japan in 2026.

This sport, which is a hybrid of tennis and squash, has experienced explosive growth in popularity over recent years, even attracting the interest of world sports celebrities such as Carlos Alcaraz, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Max Verstappen.

The decision signals a strong position for padel on the international stage. The Asian Games is the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympics.

The President of the International Padel Federation (FIP), based in Lausanne, Luigi Carraro, welcomed the decision enthusiastically.

“This is a very significant moment for our sport,” said Carraro, as cited by AFP.

According to him, padel’s confirmation as a medal sport reflects rapid development across Asia and increasingly strong global impact.

“The Asian Games represents one of the most important multi-sport events in the world,” he added.

Padel is generally played in doubles within an enclosed court resembling a tennis court. In addition to padel, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in its official statement last weekend also confirmed that teqball, a sport combining football and table tennis, will also be contested as a medal event in Nagoya and Aichi.

The Asian sports festival is scheduled to run from 19 September to 4 October.