Plate Tennis Becomes an Official Competition Event at the Asian Games

The International Federation of Plate Tennis (FIP) and its intercontinental organization Padel Asia announced yesterday a historic step in the globalization of plate tennis: Plate tennis has been officially recognized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and will be included as an official event in future Asian Games.

OCA points out that this recognition, along with close alliances with FIP and the Asian Plate Tennis Association, will further support its global development, especially in the Asian region, through the formal inclusion of plate tennis in future Asian Games.

Following the recent inclusion of plate tennis in the 2023 European Games (hosted by the European Olympic Committee EOC), the 2022 South American Games (hosted by the South American sports organization ODESUR), and the upcoming 2026 Mediterranean Games, OCA's recognition marks another important step for plate tennis on the Olympic path.

Plate tennis has experienced significant growth in Asia, with over 4600 courts currently owned by more than 1700 clubs in over 30 countries. The establishment of Padel Asia - as an intercontinental organization of all FIP affiliated national associations - strengthened governance and accelerated the development of this sport.

In recent years, Asia has hosted numerous high-level plate tennis events, including the FIP Asian Plate Tennis Cup, the FIP World Cup held in Doha (2021, 2024) and Dubai (2022), as well as 24 Cupra FIP Tour tournaments, 3 Premier Padel tournaments, and 8 FIP Promises Junior Championships held separately in 2024. Nowadays, FIP represents nearly 100 national associations worldwide, with over 35 million players in three-quarters of United Nations member states and over 80000 stadiums worldwide.

This announcement coincides with the first FIP World Cup held last week at the OCA headquarters in Kuwait. During the event, FIP Chairman Kavalo had the opportunity to meet with His Excellency Hussein A.H.Z. Al Musalam, OCA Director General and Technical Director, at the OCA headquarters in Kuwait City to discuss the continued development of the cooperative relationship between the two organizations.

FIP President Luigi Cavallo said, "We welcome with great enthusiasm and pride the unanimous decision of OCA to recognize plate tennis as an official event at the Asian Games. The timing of this announcement coincides with the perfect hosting of the FIP World Cup doubles tournament in Kuwait - proving that plate tennis is increasingly becoming a global sport, occupying an important position in Asia and around the world. After the 2023 European Games, the 2022 South American Games, and the upcoming 2026 Mediterranean Games, we are delighted to see plate tennis now included in Asia's most important Olympic event. FIP will continue to work day and night for the nearly 100 national associations it represents - as well as all stakeholders in the cricket ecosystem - to develop men's, women's, youth, amateur, and professional cricket across five continents worldwide. ”

We are delighted to officially welcome the International Plate Tennis Federation and the Asian Plate Tennis Association to the Olympic Council of Asia family, "said His Excellency Hussein A.H.Z. Al Musalam, Director General and Technical Director of OCA." Plate tennis has demonstrated extraordinary growth vitality and energy across the continent, inspiring a new generation of athletes and fans. Its inclusion in the Asian Games reflects our commitment to embracing emerging sports that can unite people and embody Olympic values of friendship, respect, and excellence

Padel Asia Chairman Tarik Zainal also commented on this milestone: "OCA's recognition opens a new chapter for plate tennis in Asia. The inclusion of plate tennis in the Asian Games will provide an incredible platform for our athletes to showcase their talents on one of the world's largest sports stages. Together with FIP and OCA, we are committed to ensuring this momentum continues, creating development paths for men's, women's, and young players, and making plate tennis one of the most representative sports of Asia's future. ”

The next Asian Games are planned to be held in 2026, with two major events on the schedule: the Asian Beach Games held in Sanya, China (April 22-30, 2026) and the Asian Games held in Aichi Nagoya, Japan (September 19-October 4, 2026).