Diego Miller, Eduardo Langer and Santiago Brito in unison: “A great spectacle”
October 27, 2023The triumph of the Argentine men’s team and the Brazilian women’s team on the field. The Panamerican Padel Games held in Caracas, Venezuela, were all this and much more: from the success of the audience to the level of the show on the court, to the impeccable organization of the event, everything was of the highest caliber, confirming that padel is growing in the world in terms of technical, organizational, and global audience levels.
The number one of the American Padel Federation, Diego Miller, the number one of COBRAPA, the Brazilian Padel Confederation, Eduardo Langer, and the number one of the APA, the Argentinian Padel Association, Santiago Brito, are all satisfied.
Diego Miller: “We are very happy to have celebrated this 5th edition of the Pan American Absolute Championships for National Teams in Venezuela. The success of the tournament only confirms the impressive following our sport has worldwide. As President of the American Padel Federation, I had the responsibility of approving the venue, and I didn’t hesitate for a minute because, even though the Venezuelan Padel Federation was the last to join the FIP and the APF, these are people we have been working with for 5 years. We share the dream of making a great event come true, which we were able to achieve with a lot of hard work, and in the end, it has borne fruit, even exceeding our own expectations. It was an incredible week for all the athletes from all the countries in the continent, where we played from day one in front of thousands of people who filled the facilities, including the 3000 who packed the main stadium from day one, as well as the thousands who passed through the other 5 courts set up for the event. There is not a single thing that can be said that did not exceed expectations, as we surpassed one million views of the tournament through streaming and TV channels. Everything has been incredible, and as the crowning touch, we had one of the most exciting finals in the history of this sport between Brazil and Argentina. This championship demonstrates that the strategic vision of the FIP, which is to bring Padel and major events to all territories of the world, is on the right track. I would like to especially thank the Venezuelan Federation and its authorities who did an impressive job, the authorities of the APF member countries who not only participated with their delegations but also supported the host. I also thank the main protagonists, players from all countries, who gave us a week full of intense emotions and showed us that nothing excites them more than representing their countries, which amazes us because we share that sense of belonging, identity, and deep commitment and love for their countries. We are very satisfied and will continue working with the International Padel Federation to continue generating these opportunities and continue to demonstrate why padel is the most beautiful sport on the planet”.
Eduardo Langer: “The 2023 Pan American Absolute Championship held in Caracas, Venezuela, was one of the best, if not the best, ever organized, and it will undoubtedly set the bar for future tournaments. We must congratulate the American Padel Federation for choosing Venezuela as the host and praise the Venezuelan Padel Federation for the organization of the event. For Brazil – coming from a World Championship in the United Arab Emirates where the results did not meet expectation – these Pan American Games served as a kind of redemption, to prove to ourselves that yes, we are capable of continuing to strive for the top of the podium, even though all the other countries have also raised their level. Finally, we are very proud of the work of everyone: the institutions, the coaches, and especially the athletes from Brazil, who were champions in the women’s tournament and runners-up in the men’s competition. Both finals were against a great rival, Argentina”.
Santiago Brito: “Without a doubt, the tournament held by the Venezuelan Padel Federation showed that it is up to the level of professional padel. From APA, we want to express our gratitude to the organizers who were involved in every detail and showed the world that Venezuela is home to great padel, that they are here to stay, and that their commitment to padel is a bet on the future that will undoubtedly set a precedent in history. On our part, we are very happy with the results we obtained. We were able to bet on a generational change that Argentina is demanding, especially in the women’s category. A tournament of this magnitude for young promises reinforces the commitment of our players, and if they also find themselves with a level of tournament like few have seen before, even better”.