Padel makes Asian Games debut with Olympics in sight

NAGOYA: The fast-growing racquet sport of padel made its Asian Games debut on Monday after being added to the continent's biggest sporting spectacular as a medal event. This comes as no surprise given the popularity of the sport among notable athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Carlos Alcaraz. Padel, a cross between tennis and squash, has an estimated 38 million players and aims to become a major global sport.

At the Asian Games in Nagoya, Philippines player Joshea Malazarte expressed her excitement about the inclusion of padel, noting that it is relatively unknown in Japan. Despite being played in 170 countries and territories, with 85,000 courts worldwide, padel is still a relatively unknown sport in Japan. The sport has a professional tour circuit and a recent event at the Roland Garros tennis stadium in Paris attracted over 80,000 people.

IPF official Donatella Del Gaudio stated that the goal is to make padel a part of the Olympics soon, emphasizing the need for patience, diligence, and respect for the Olympic timeline.