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“Middle East: Padel Climbs New Heights with Qatar Sports Investments”

Merger agreement between World Padel Tour & Premier Padel

Qatar Sports Investments, the company that owns Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has acquired the World Padel Tour (Wpt). This deal involves a merger with Premier Padel and joint management under the International Padel Federation (FIP). This signals the sport’s increasing focus on the Middle East region.

T he agreement provides for the resolution of disputes between the parties, including issues between the WPT and FIP organizations and padel players who participated in both tours without authorization. Throughout 2023, the WPT and Premier Padel tours will continue separately, but efforts are underway to unify them for the following year.

«This is a historic moment for the sport of padel. QSI is proud to be at the forefront of the development of professional padel worldwide, always putting players at the center of our mission to grow this sport everywhere,», said Doha Nasser Al-Khelaifi, President of Qatar Sports Investments and Premier Padel. “We are excited about the union

of two great tours into one fantastic global circuit; now we look forward to the next fantastic phase of development and growth of professional padel under Premier Padel, benefiting the entire community,” added Luigi Carraro, President of FIP.», Luigi Carraro, presidente Fip The transition of the World Padel Tour (WPT) from Damm’s management to Qatar Sports Investments represents a historic turning point for padel. This change also underscores the recognition of the International Padel Federation (FIP) as the central authority for the organization and development of the sport. Furthermore, it definitively closes a prolonged period of confusion, challenging to explain to those outside the industry and especially complicated for the players, the true protagonists of this sport.

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“Padel at the 2032 Olympics: A Concrete Goal and a Rising Future”

The rise of padel to the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane has become a concrete goal thanks to the growing popularity and collaboration between the World Padel Tour and Premier Padel.

The possibility of seeing padel at the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, a first for this sport, is now considered a real and tangible goal by fans, thanks to the significant rise in popularity among both amateurs and professionals in recent years.

The journey has already begun with participation in the European Games 2023 in Krakow, but the intention is not to stop here. Now, with all the key players in the world of padel working together for development, a bright future is on the horizon.

The immediate effect of the merger between the World Padel Tour and Premier Padel, in addition to a more collaborative environment, will be an elevation in the quality of the game. Furthermore, players will have the opportunity to organize themselves better thanks to a unified and well-organized calendar.

The Words of Luigi Carraro

Here come statements from the president of the International Padel Federation

Following the agreement between Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), the International Padel Federation (FIP), the Professional Padel Association and Damm, for the acquisition of the World Padel Tour (WPT) by QSI, FIP president Luigi Carraro emphasised the FIP’s responsibility in managing the new World Premier Padel circuit from 2024. In fact, the FIP will also be involved in promoting padel at the Olympics.

“Translation in English: FIP will have an enormous and fundamental responsibility in governing, from 2024, the unified Premier Padel circuit that arises from the merger between the latter and the World Padel Tour. However, we have worked for this historic moment in recent years and will continue to do so for the growth of our sport. On the other hand, over the years, from the success of our sport at the European Games, recognized by the heads of the European Olympic Committees, to that of the Cupra FIP and Premier Padel circuits worldwide, our collaboration with the national federations of the FIP family has produced unimaginable results until recently.”.

The President of FIP also addressed various topics, including tournaments in Italy, providing an assessment of the Rome Major and ensuring several innovations: During a recent internal meeting, the planning of the calendar for the next season was discussed. It was acknowledged that the calendar for 2022 and 2023 would be influenced by the existing stages of the World Padel Tour. However, for the following season, work is underway on a uniform calendar that includes stages on all continents. Italy, given its importance in terms of practitioners and infrastructure in the world of padel, could have the opportunity to host a third tournament, in addition to those in Milan and Rome, without apparent obstacles.

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