Agreement between FIP and Sapienza Università di Roma on the values of sport as an example and an opportunity for scientific research

FIP and Sapienza Università di Roma will collaborate in the creation and organization of joint initiatives aimed at better understanding sport and padel, promoting scientific research, and encouraging healthy lifestyles. FIP President Carraro: “This agreement is an achievement of absolute excellence”. Rector Polimeni: “Sports practice is an added value that complements individual education”

Promoting education through sports, not only as a tool for physical and mental well-being but also as a fundamental component for inclusion, sharing, and respect for diversity. This is the core principle of the framework agreement signed by Sapienza Università di Roma and the FIP, International Padel Federation. The collaboration, set to last for the next three years, will lead to joint initiatives and a scientific deepening of sports practice — particularly padel — with the aim of “promoting study initiatives, research, and Third Mission activities”, the agreement reads, “focused on the scientific exploration of sports practice, with specific reference to padel, aimed at producing documentary material useful for guiding positive actions at institutional, national, and local levels on the promotion of health and healthy lifestyles”.

This is an important step for the FIP, which currently includes 71 national federations across five continents (set to rise to 81 in January) and prioritizes the educational, cultural, and social exchange pathways that padel can foster for both professional and amateur athletes, guiding them towards a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Equally significant is the involvement of Sapienza Università di Roma — Europe’s largest university and one of Italy’s most prestigious —which, through this agreement, strengthens its strategic goals in knowledge, the right to education, and equal opportunities, with a focus on individual value. The university aims to provide its “scientific and research contribution to ensure a thorough and necessary examination of topics related to sports, with specific reference to padel, as a tool for promoting health and well-being”.

The agreement calls for collaboration between the two parties in creating and organizing joint initiatives, including the establishment of a Technical Scientific Committee. These initiatives will involve educational and research activities to enhance understanding of the values of sport and health, as well as promoting proper behaviors in sports practice. The collaboration will also focus on communication and awareness campaigns, particularly during key events like National Sports Day, alongside initiatives organized by Sapienza to promote healthy lifestyles, and events sponsored by FIP that are of interest to the university.

Sapienza will provide scientific and research contributions and will organize seminars, lecture series, and educational programs on sports-related topics, with a particular focus on padel. The university will also promote joint research projects. In return, FIP commits to working with the university in researching and developing padel while respecting the educational values of sports and learning. FIP will also promote the university’s educational and research activities and encourage scientific studies on the sport, providing athletes — both professional and amateur — with a solid foundation for their sporting careers.

“Knowledge, study, sharing, the application of educational and social values, cultural exchange, and inclusion“, says FIP President Luigi Carraro, “are just some of the key aspects that form the foundation of both sports — and padel in particula r— and the academic world. Being able to team up with one of the most important and prestigious universities, with the goal of shared initiatives that lead to common objectives in the education and preparation of future generations, represents an absolute achievement of excellence for FIP and the world of padel. For this, I would like to thank Rector Antonella Polimeni for the enthusiasm and willingness with which this joint initiative between FIP and Sapienza Università di Roma has been realized.”

“The agreement with the International Padel Federation“, says Rector Antonella Polimeni, “once again highlights how important Sapienza views sports practice as a fundamental complement to individual education. This agreement further enriches our collaborations with entities and institutions, broadening the opportunities available to our students. Our university is strongly committed to providing resources and expertise to promote a robust and widespread sporting culture, one that focuses on the practice of sports and the transdisciplinary scientific activity that surrounds them. Through Sapienza Sport Center and with Third and Fourth Mission activities, we share the vision of an academic institution that interacts and exchanges with society, the country, and those who believe in the crucial role of education and scientific research, with important partners such as the International Padel Federation.”