Padel will make its debut as a medal sport at the 2026 Taranto Mediterranean Games

Experiencing rapid growth worldwide, and particularly in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, the paddle will take another historic step by joining the official program of 20th Mediterranean Games , organized from 21 3 September 2026 August à Taranto , in Italy.

For the first time, padel will be a medal-winning sport during this multi-sport competition. On this occasion, the International Committee of the Mediterranean Games (CIJM) and the International Federation of Padel (FIP) collaborate to ensure the integration and promotion of the discipline through the competitions male, female and mixed .

A first that has generated considerable enthusiasm.

Nowadays, 136 athletes from 19 Mediterranean national federations are already registered, proof of the interest generated by this first participation of padel in the Mediterranean Games.

In order to encourage the participation of the best players, the competition has also been integrated into the FIP official professional calendar .

The delegations involved will be:

Albania
Algeria
Croatia
Cyprus
Egypt
France
Greece
Italie
Kosovo
Libya
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Portugal
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Tunisia
Turkey

The Athletica Vaticana will also participate as a guest.

This participation confirms the growing interest in padel throughout the Mediterranean region and underlines the importance of this historic first.

A new complex dedicated to padel

The tournament will take place from 22 at August 28 au Salinella Mediterranean Park , a brand new permanent complex built in Taranto to support the development of padel.

The site will also host the competitions of skateboard as well as the training courts of the tennis illustrating the multi-sport spirit of the Mediterranean Games.

A new step towards the Olympic Games

The integration of padel into the Mediterranean Games goes beyond the simple sporting context.

After its entry into several continental competitions recognized by the Olympic movement, notably the European Games , the Asian Games , the South American Games or the Indoor Asian Games and Martial Arts Padel continues its development within the international sporting landscape.

This new step further strengthens its candidacy for future inclusion in the program. Jeux Olympiques , while also demonstrating its growth, institutional structure and global reach.

Luigi Carraro: "A new historic step"

The president of the International Federation of Padel , Luigi Carraro welcomed this announcement:

“Padel’s debut at the 2026 Mediterranean Games marks a new historic milestone for our sport and further recognition of its international development. While padel has grown at an unprecedented rate worldwide, in recent years it has also been included in the biggest multi-sport competitions recognized by the Olympic movement: from the Asian Games to the European Games, including the South American Games and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Padel stands out in these events for its quality, its adherence to Olympic principles, and the public interest it generates. Its inclusion among the official sports of the Mediterranean Games confirms its growing importance and reinforces the work carried out by the FIP and national federations for the future of our sport.”

Taranto 2026 ready to host padel

The general manager of the organizing committee of the Mediterranean Games Taranto 2026 , Carlo Molfetta He also welcomed this development:

“The inclusion of padel in the Mediterranean Games program is a historic milestone for the sport and a source of great pride for Taranto 2026. From the outset, we believed in the potential of this discipline and worked to ensure its debut took place under the best possible conditions. We are confident that athletes, federations, and fans will witness a spectacular competition that will leave a lasting legacy for the future of padel and for the entire Mediterranean sports movement.”