Fabrice Pastor: “The attitude of the FIP is troubling”

Padel Magazine : The padel will be surely absent from the Olympics in 2028...

Fabrice Pastor: The FIP, with its extreme attitude of wanting to be permanently exclusive, is scuttling our chances of being an Olympic sport in 2028.

She is the epicenter of much of the conflict in the sport. And it's sad, because I think actors are ready to work together. But instead of playing its role, namely trying to organize and unify the different circuits, it divides the actors.

I believe in unity in our sport, I keep repeating that. Unfortunately for the moment, we choose the way of clans and small stories. We must obtain at least a unified ranking to facilitate the choices of all players as to which tournaments to play. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of the players and organizers for a second and imagine the complexity of it all: which tournaments, which circuits, which points...

How do you expect an international body as serious as the International Olympic Committee, despite the proximity, facilities and connections that Luigi Carraro has thanks to his father, former mayor of Rome, former Italian minister and eminent member of the Olympic Committee, accept so much amateurism?

Our sport is booming, I think it is mature to be part of the Olympic family, but not in such an unstable and unhealthy environment. What a shame and what a waste of time!

“The FIP should represent ALL of us”

PM: The FIP, by promoting only one circuit (first the WPT and now Premier Padel) jeopardize the chances of padel to be at the Olympics in 2028?

PF: Yes of course, it is detrimental for everyone in the padel ! It's unfortunate to see our international federation doing business on the backs of fans, clubs, organizers and its own members.

It should represent us “ALL” and promote all circuits. But no, once again, what are its main leaders hiding from us?

Can Luigi Carraro go so far as to decide the fate of all these professional players and force them to play only one circuit? First it's the World Padel Tour, and overnight, it's Premier Padel. Who else will it be tomorrow?

Look at what happened again recently concerning the European Youth Championships : excessive politics! Where is the interest of padel ?

I am against an exclusive FIP, it stops there. I'm all for players being able to choose the tours and tournaments they want to play in as a unified package with a single leaderboard.

PM: Does Luigi Carraro have to make a choice between Premier Padel and the FIP?

Today the President of the FIP works for Premier Padel. Better, he is part of the board of Premier Padel, a private structure headquartered in Qatar. What more can you say?

See for yourself:

• Suddenly, without notice, at the end of December, he did an about-face. He goes from the WPT to Premier Padel.
• While there was already a World Cup in Qatar last year and another event to launch the new FIP circuit, we find ourselves with a second World Cup in Qatar. And this despite the presence of other candidates, especially that of Valencia.
• Our APT tournaments Padel Tour are canceled in Italy due to negative pressure from Luigi Carraro and the Italian Tennis Federation.

Let's go back to Italy: thanks to Luigi Carraro, we won't have an APT Padel Tour in this country. And really I regret it, because there was everything to do very beautiful things. Who are the victims: the players and the padel in general. While the FIP does not come to talk to us about the good of the players… possibly a few players. His speech is laughable.

Luigi Carraro has a mission: to promote his circuit Premier Padel. The others don't exist, that's how it is.

PM: What are the solutions to put an end to this situation? 

PF: The solution is not easy, the padel is a skyrocketing sport that has been manipulated and flouted by those who control it, and players have never actually had a chance to say a word. Now with APT Padel Tower, there is this opportunity. But the two times we tried to get closer to the FIP, Luigi's negative response was always there. You will understand that in this way it is very difficult to collaborate.

We also tried to discuss with Premier Padel : same negative answer.

I honestly think that our circuit is the best for several reasons, in particular because the cost of other circuits is very high, so it is difficult for them to have promoters. In our case, we help our promoters with sponsorship, we always build a long-term collaboration.

“The failures of the FIP must make its members think”

PM: Can we speak of FIP failure if the padel is not included in the Olympics in 2028?

FP: It's a huge failure by Luigi Carraro. He made the world believe what he knew was a lie.

I remind you that during his first mandate, he announced the padel at the Olympics. First failure.

But this time, there are no more excuses. If the padel is not at the 2028 Olympics, it will be a failure which I hope will make the members think.

But above all the question is: the FIP, by its deplorable way of doing things, has it spoiled this possibility of being a serious candidate for the 2028 Olympics? With such an attitude, would the International Olympic Committee risk accepting the candidature of a sport immersed in troubling affairs?

“FIP must be transparent”

PM: Is a new candidacy to be president of the FIP possible?

PF: It's hard to say, first of all, things have changed a lot since 2018 since I am the president of the APT Padel Round. And inevitably, it would be difficult to be both judge and judged.

And then I remind you that everything is done so that the president is always the same. The internal rules of the International Federation are not respected. You understand that by organizing an election in Qatar, where the vote can only be cast by the members present, and where not everyone can move especially because of the cost of the trip, there cannot be a different president .

I think members have to react, at least ask FIP questions, ask for explanations, get answers to questions. We need more democracy and above all total transparency of the FIP. How does an International Federation allow itself to remain discreet about its precise relations with Premier Padel ? What are they ? Why is it so hard to get answers?

It takes the reaction of the members of the FIP so that the padel can grow as it should, and therefore one day perhaps become Olympic.