TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has officially added padel as one of the sports branches at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The decision was announced after a meeting between the President of the International Padel Federation (FIP) Luigi Carraro and OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam in Kuwait.
"We are delighted to officially welcome the International Padel Federation and Padel Asia to the Olympic Council of Asia family," Husain said, as quoted on the OCA's official website on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
The announcement was made during the inaugural FIP World Cup Pairs championship and marks a significant milestone in the effort to promote padel to the largest multi-sport event in Asia. Husain spoke about the rapid growth of padel across Asia, which has started to birth a new generation of athletes and fans.
According to Husain, the inclusion of padel in the Asian Games is a testament to the OCA's commitment to embracing emerging sports. He hopes that the inclusion of padel as a sport will strengthen the "Olympic values of friendship, respect, and excellence."
FIP President Luigi Carraro welcomed the decision as an important achievement in promoting padel to global recognition. "FIP will keep working night and day for the nearly-100 national federations we represent developing the sport in all corners of the world," he said.
Meanwhile, Padel Asia President Tariq Zainal described the OCA's decision as opening a new chapter for the growth of padel in the region. He stated that padel's appearance in the Asian Games will be a strategic platform for Asian athletes to showcase their abilities at the highest level.
Padel's debut as an official sport at the 2026 Asian Games is also seen as a major step towards the larger ambition of paving the way for the sport's potential participation in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.