On September 12th, padel will use its popularity to support a great cause. On the occasion of the day  Play Against Cancer Organised by the Kick Out Cancer association at the Thiais Stadium, a charity padel tournament will complement the men's football, women's football and basketball competitions, with a common goal: to support cancer research.

Padel is committed to cancer research

Le  Saturday September 12, 2026 , the  Thiais Stadium  will host a large-scale sporting and charitable event. Named  Play Against Cancer this initiative led by the association  Kick Out Cancer  aims to bring together  500 to 600 participants  around four disciplines: men's football, women's football, basketball and, for the first time, padel.

All funds raised will be donated to  the PRISM IHU of Gustave Roussy , in order to support research work in precision oncology.

Why padel?

The choice of padel is no accident. Growing rapidly in France, this sport attracts new players every year thanks to its accessibility, its friendly atmosphere, and its doubles format.

The organizers hope to take advantage of this enthusiasm to mobilize an ever-wider audience around the fight against cancer.

“In the operating room, I spend my days repairing what cancer damages. On a padel court, I want to act beforehand: on prevention and on the resources we give to research. Padel is something anyone can play. Four healthcare workers, four office colleagues, or four friends on a court, and we help research while having a good time.”

 Dr. Héloïse de Karmedec , ENT surgeon at Gustave Roussy.

This desire perfectly illustrates the spirit of the event: to make solidarity accessible to all, without it being necessary to be an experienced player.

A participatory model

To participate, each team will have to follow a simple route:

  • adjust  €20 registration fee  on  jouecontrelecancer.fr  ;
  • then open a  solidarity fund , with an indicative target of  350 € per team .

The financial goal is not, however, the deciding factor. The organizers emphasize above all the mobilization of the community: friends, family, colleagues, businesses or sports clubs are invited to support the participating teams.

A growing ambition

The Kick Out Cancer association can already look back on a successful first edition.  2025 the day had brought together  25 teams ,  189 players  and permission to reverse  12 189 euros  at the IHU PRISM.

With the arrival of padel and the event's growing popularity, the organizers now have a clear ambition: to make  Play Against Cancer  an unmissable event, with the long-term goal of creating a real  "Cancer Telethon" .

Practical information

  •  Event :  Charity padel tournament as part of Play Against Cancer
  •  Date:  Saturday 12 September 2026
  •  Location:   Thiais Stadium (2 rue du Courson, 94320 Thiais)
  •  Registration:  €20 per team on  jouecontrelecancer.fr , then the creation of a solidarity fund
  •  Cause supported:  Precision oncology research at the IHU PRISM – Gustave Roussy

Through this initiative, padel demonstrates once again that it is much more than a rapidly growing sport: it is also becoming a powerful vehicle for solidarity. Combining conviviality, commitment, and collective mobilization, the event on September 12th promises to make competition rhyme with generosity.

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