Puerto Cabello’s P2 presented in Venezuela. Carraro: “Fantastic event, it will be part of padel history”

After Riyadh and Doha, it’s time for Premier Padel to land in Central and South America. For the world professional circuit governed by the International Padel Federation it will be another two unmissable weeks: first the P1 in Acapulco (18-24 March), then the P2 in Puerto Cabello (25-31), presented today at a press conference with local authorities – such as mayor Juan Carlos Betancourt –, the tournament organisers – tournament director Pablo Velazco and Benito Pérez Barbadillo representing the Do Sport Group and manager, among others, of Rafa Nadal –, and also attended by FIP president Luigi Carraro.

“I met Benito Pérez Barbadillo in Montecarlo, he is a man who’s giving so much to padel and it is a luxury to have someone like him who believes in this project. Announcing today the first Premier Padel tournament in Venezuela excites me – said Carraro – and thanks to Pablo Velazco, who is a guarantee of organisation for players. We are fulfilling our goal: to make padel a global sport”.

Stars are expected in Venezuela. “At the closing of registration we have all the best players – added Carraro –. It will be a fantastic event for the image of our sport. There is great expectation, and anyone who has already been to Puerto Cabello has told me about a fantastic location. Padel is growing a lot in Venezuela, thanks to the work of the Venezuelan Padel Federation, which joined the FIP last year. The Panamericans have already been played in Caracas, with an organisation that has helped the players and all the feedback has been fantastic. FIP, Premier Padel and Qatar Sports Investments are happy to start a historic year and to play in a country like yours. It will be better than any expectation”.

The one in Puerto Cabello, underlines Carraro, “is a tournament comparable to a tennis ATP 500, therefore very prestigious. By the way, the Premier Padel calendar will not include more than 26 tournaments, which makes the event in Venezuela of great importance in a calendar that between Premier Padel and CUPRA FIP Tour is very rich. Thanks to all the federations, including the Venezuelan one, which works excellently and has 1,500 registered members, many tournaments are organised, with opportunities for local athletes to play and increase their FIP ranking, which has been unified since this year. And in Puerto Cabello, the Venezuelan athletes who will receive wild cards will have this opportunity”. One of them, Roberto Rodriguez, has made padel history: in 2019, paired with Argentine Fermin Ferreyra, Rodriguez won the first tournament of the FIP Tour, the circuit of the International Padel Federation, in the Netherlands.