Le FIP Bronze Mondeville marked a key stage for padel in Normandy. Alexandre Maes, Director of PadelShot Caen, tells us about this international event, the new centers PadelShot and a probable FIP Silver since 2025…

Can you introduce yourself and your club?
Hello everyone, I am Alexandre Maes, manager of PadelShot Caen and partner of the creators of the structure. We have nine padel courts in Caen. A former tennis teacher, I switched to padel in 2020, and we reopened the club in 2021 with the ambition of developing this discipline in Normandy.

How did the idea of ​​organizing a Bronze FIP in your club come about?
The goal, since the club opened, was to organize big competitions. We started three or four years ago with P1000s and have evolved into a P2000 in 2024. We have been discussing for several years with Jimmy Devaux from the EMZEL agency about organizing a first FIP ​​in Normandy. When he and Julien Georges, from Vikings Events, contacted us to give them our support and host the qualifying phases, it was an obvious choice for us.

FIP Bronze Mondeville: Normandy enters the big leagues

The tournament seems to be a success. What about the attendance and the organization?
Yes, it is a great success. From the qualifying phases at the club, we welcomed between 300 and 400 spectators continuouslyThe rest of the tournament took place at the Beregovoy Hall, which can hold up to 1,800 people. We have counted 1 to 200 spectators on average, which is exceptional for a padel tournament in Normandy. This shows how much padel can attract and mobilize here.

The Spanish players, accustomed to big events, were pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and the quality of the organizationThis sends a strong message for the future of padel in France.

An anecdote about the organization?
finalists today, Spanish, wanted to bring their matches forward to catch their plane. They did not expect such a crowd and thought that the atmosphere would be more discreet. But upon discovering the 1 200 spectators present, they understood the importance of this event and chose to play under the conditions initially planned.

What are the prospects for the club and the upcoming competitions?
This Bronze FIP is just the beginning. We have signed up for three years with the city of Mondeville to return to this room. Our ambition with the organizers is to organize a FIP Silver from next year, with more points, a higher prize money, and high-level players. This will also allow many European players to stay in France rather than looking for similar competitions abroad.

Any regrets regarding the absence of certain French players?
Yes, it was a regret at the beginning. Despite all the work accomplished over the last three months, the best French players were not there. This can be explained by a date too early in the season, which coincided with the end of the holidays. We are considering postponing the tournament from one to two weeks next year to better integrate their preparation.

A word to conclude ?
This tournament was an incredible experience for both spectators and players. We received very good feedback and this motivates us to continue to grow padel in Normandy. Thank you all for your support, thank you and congratulations to vikings padel for the organization, and see you soon for new adventures!

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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