Photo: Luigi Carraro (FIP President) and Dr. Husain A. H. Z. Al-Musallam, OCA Director General and Technical Director
The International Padel Federation (FIP) and its continental body, Padel Asia, have announced the inclusion of padel within the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and as an official sport in the programme of upcoming editions of the Asian Games.
The Council highlighted that this recognition, together with the strong alliance with FIP and Padel Asia, will further boost the global growth of padel — and particularly in Asia — through its formal inclusion in future Asian Games.
Following padel’s recent inclusion in the 2023 European Games (organised by the European Olympic Committees – EOC), the 2022 South American Games (organised by Organización Deportiva Suramericana – ODESUR) and the 2026 Mediterranean Games, the OCA’s recognition marks another step forward in padel’s Olympic pathway. The establishment of Padel Asia, the continental organisation uniting all FIP-affiliated national federations, has helped reinforce governance and accelerate the sport’s development.
“We are thrilled and proud to receive the news that the OCA has unanimously decided to recognise padel as an official sport of the Asian Games,” said FIP President Luigi Carraro. “The timing of this announcement, coinciding with the FIP World Cup Pairs in Kuwait, is perfect: it shows how padel is increasingly becoming a global sport and an important presence both in Asia and worldwide. After the 2023 European Games, the 2022 South American Games and the upcoming 2026 Mediterranean Games, we are delighted to see padel also enter the most important Olympic event on the Asian continent. The FIP will continue working day and night for the nearly 100 national federations we represent — and for all actors in the padel ecosystem — developing men’s, women’s, youth, amateur and professional padel in every corner of the planet.”
“We are pleased to officially welcome the International Padel Federation and Padel Asia into the Olympic Council of Asia family. Padel has shown extraordinary growth and energy across the continent, inspiring a new generation of athletes and fans,” said Dr. Husain A. H. Z. Al-Musallam, OCA Director General and Technical Director. “Its inclusion in the Asian Games reflects our commitment to supporting emerging sports that bring people together and embody the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence.”
“OCA recognition opens a new chapter for padel in Asia,” added Tariq Zainal, President of Padel Asia. “The inclusion of padel in the Asian Games will offer an extraordinary platform for our athletes, allowing them to showcase their talent on one of the world’s most important sporting stages. Together with the FIP and OCA, we are committed to ensuring this momentum continues, creating development pathways for men, women and young players, and making padel one of the emblematic sports of the future in Asia.”
The upcoming editions of the Games are scheduled for 2026:
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Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China (22–30 April 2026);
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Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, Japan (19 September–4 October 2026).
