Le  Padel continues its establishment in major international multisport competitions After its initial appearance as a medal sport during the  European Games in Krakow in 2023 , the discipline will take a new step in  August 22-28, 2026 in Taranto , with his debut at  Mediterranean Games And this Italian event will be just one step in a particularly rich year: Santa Fe, Nagoya and then Riyadh will also host padel competitions with medals at stake.

Krakow 2023, the starting point

The story truly began in  2023 in Poland , on the famous  Krakow Main Market , the main square in the historic center of the city.

For the first time, padel was listed as  medal sport in a continental multi-sport competition , on the occasion of the European Games. A symbolic step for a discipline then experiencing rapid international expansion.

Set in a spectacular location in the heart of Krakow, the courts had also allowed padel to benefit from new exposure to the general public.

This first experience was not without consequences, since padel is  already confirmed for the program of the next European Games, scheduled for Istanbul in 2027 .

Taranto 2026: 88 players and 18 nations

Three years after Krakow, padel will discover another major multi-sport event with the  Taranto Mediterranean Games , organized in southern Italy.

The padel competition will take place  from 22 to 28 August 2026 , with  88 athletes representing 18 nations .

Three titles will be awarded:

  •  men's doubles 
  •  double ladies 
  •  mixed doubles 

This presence represents a new and important step in the internationalization of padel, with nations from several areas of the Mediterranean basin brought together around the same competition.

After Taranto, direction Santa Fe

The multi-sport padel calendar will not stop in Italy.

A few weeks later, it was off to Argentina for the  13th edition of the South American Games , organized  from September 12 to 26, 2026 in the province of Santa Fe .

Here again, a step will be taken since padel will be officially integrated among the  medal-winning sports .

The discipline had already made its first appearance four years earlier at the South American Games. Asunción, Paraguay but only as an exhibition sport. In 2026, the results will therefore count fully towards the medal table.

Padel is also being included in the Asian Games

Almost simultaneously, padel will continue its journey towards Asia.

Du  September 19 to October 4 The discipline will be present at  Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Japan. The main Asian nations will also be able to compete for medals in a region where the development of padel is accelerating.

According to data from  FIP World Padel Report 2025 , more than  600 runways were reportedly built in Asia between April 2024 and October 2025 bringing the continental park to  more than 1 plots .

This progression helps to better understand the strategic importance of Asia in the international development of the discipline.

Riyadh to end the year

The tour of major multi-sport events will end in  Saudi Arabia .

Du  December 13 to 21, 2026 Riyadh will host the  Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games , with padel once again among the disciplines offering the possibility of winning medals.

In the space of a few months, padel will therefore have gone through  Europe, the Mediterranean basin, South America and Asia confirming a presence that now extends far beyond its historical Spanish and South American strongholds.

From multi-sport Games to the Olympic dream

This increased number of appearances in multi-sport competitions is certainly an interesting sign for a discipline that no longer hides its  Olympic ambitions .

A presence at the Olympic Games remains a longer-term objective and is subject to a specific process and criteria. However, each inclusion in a major multi-sport event allows padel to accumulate experience in an environment similar to that of major international competitions: national delegations, medals, continental representation, and coexistence with numerous other disciplines.

La  International Federation of Padel (FIP)  and national federations thus have new showcases to pursue the global development of sport.

After  Krakow in 2023 The year 2026 marks a clear acceleration with  Taranto, Santa Fe, Aichi-Nagoya and Riyadh before a return to  European Games in Istanbul in 2027 .

The circle is not closing. On the contrary, it continues to widen. And for padel, each new medal awarded at these major international events represents a further step towards ever-greater sporting recognition.

Photo credit: FIP

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