General Assembly, eight new countries from four continents join the FIP: the details

At the FIP general assembly, the representatives voted in favour of the affiliation of eight new countries to the International Padel Federation. They are:

TUNISIA – 18 new padel clubs have been opened in the country, as the national Federation is working to further expand the network of clubs. New, modern padel facilities are being built throughout the country as Tunisia can play a key role in the expansion of the game in North Africa. The Tunisian Tennis Federation is committed to collaborating with other member countries to promote padel in the region and is also involved in the development of facilities, as well as implementing training programmes for coaches and referees to foster the overall growth of the sport and the development of individual players.

SLOVAKIA – The Slovak Padel Association was founded in 2018 and currently associates more than 500 players in the country, represented by a Men’s and Women’s National Team. In 2021, the National Padel Centre was built, hosting tournaments on a bi-weekly basis. In 2021, the Federation developed a mobile application for the padel community in Slovakia, available on Apple Store and Google Play. The development plan is to rapidly increase the overall technical level, to participate in the official European Championships with the men’s and women’s national team, to increase the amount of padel courts, to organise the Slovak National Championships in October 2023, to organise the CEPT (Central Europe Padel Tour) tournament in Bratislava (September 2023), and to continue to spread awareness of padel in Slovakia.

MONTENEGRO – The padel federation is part of the Ministry of Sport and Youth and has received the support of the local Olympic Committee. The support opens the door to the recognition of padel as an official Olympic sport in the country. Investment in the construction of padel courts in the capital Podgorica has given the local community access to modern sports facilities, suitable for all ages and skill levels. Padel courts have also been built in the bay of Lustica, a beautiful seaside resort.

LUXEMBOURG – The number of padel players is growing exponentially in the country. Padel Luxembourg’s objectives are: to double the number of players until 2025, to develop the offer for children, to provide a ‘Train-the-Trainer’ offer, to attract qualified padel coaches, to increase the number of mixed padel-tennis clubs, to improve the promotion of padel in Luxembourg, to create a Luxembourg national padel team. The first Luxembourg Padel Championship took place in September 2022, with four different categories. The second edition will take place in September/October 2023.

KOSOVO – The Kosovo Padel Federation was founded on 28 August 2021 and began its activities by establishing new padel clubs in the country’s major cities. The Padel Federation wants it to become one of the most played and attractive sports in the country, and has several goals for this: to create the first Padel League in Kosovo, to create a padel school for children, and to make padel a new subject in sports schools and universities.

KAZAKHSTAN – After all the preparatory procedures, the ‘National Padel Federation’ was officially established in March 2023.  The short-term goals are: the opening of a technical centre in Almaty, new padel clubs in major cities, the creation of a regional federation in the remaining regions, the organisation of missions to neighbouring countries to exchange padel experiences, as well as following the FIP European or World Championships. The Federation also has long-term goals, including the practice of padel in schools, the creation of a certification centre for quality and facility standards.

AZERBAIJAN – Padel in the country is officially recognised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Tennis Federation, with the aim of spreading the discipline in the country by fostering sociability, inclusion, and sports practice. Azerbaijan participated in the European Games in Krakow, Poland, in June 2023.

VENEZUELA – Padel in Venezuela has currently 2,500 players nationwide. There are 62 clubs with hundreds of active courts in 10 states of the country. The mission of the Padel Venezuela Federation – created in 2019 – is to organise, develop and spread this sport, so that it integrates into our country’s society, contributing to health, recreation and well-being. The Fvp aims to become one of the most prestigious sporting bodies at national level, both in terms of organisation and sporting results.