One month before the final stages of the 2024 World Padel Championships, a controversy erupts regarding the Asia-Africa Qualifications which took place in Kuwait. The team ofAustralia has indeed lost against the United Arab Emirates 2 games to 1.

But if you look more closely, you realize that the United Arab Emirates included several players of Spanish origin. Here is the composition of the team:

  1. Francisco Jurado Sosa
  2. Fares Al Janahi
  3. Abdulla Ahli
  4. Sergio Icardo Alcorisa
  5. Iñigo Jofre Manzanares
  6. Majed Al Janahi
  7. Arnau Ayats
  8. Salem Alhouli

Four former Spanish players are therefore in this team, notably Sergio Icardo (129th in the world), Inigo Jofre (53e) and Arnau Ayats (58e).

A priori, what the United Arab Emirates complies with the competition rules from FIP. So, nations that lost to the qualifying champions cannot protest on a regulatory level. However, the question arises whether a line has not been crossed and whether this does not open the door to other nations that would seek to recruit mainly in Spain or Argentina to perform better in international team events

What are the criticisms made against the United Arab Emirates?

First of all, it should be noted that this scenario is not new. Europe,Italy has sometimes equipped itself with players who come mainly fromArgentina to be more competitive in international competitions. During the last European Championships, two players of Argentinian origin were thus in the Italian team.

Moreover, if the United Arab Emirates called on four original players Spanish to strengthen their team, it is because everything seems to have been done in accordance with the rules, legally speaking.

The real question, then, is whether a overdrive has not been exceeded.

Indeed, is it fair that some nations boost their team with players? Spanish ou Argentine, compared to other nations that have worked hard to build a strong team? And is it fair to those who, perhaps, do not have the financial means to recruit players of other nationalities?

A situation not so clear?

Apparently, some nations present at the Africa-Asia qualifications were not aware of the presence of these players in the team United Arab Emirates. Should the team composition have been announced earlier, so that other nations could have had a say in the situation?

However, it can also be considered that the United Arab Emirates do not have to answer to anyone, as long as they respect the regulations of their country and those of the FIP.

From a sporting perspective, we can estimate that the paddle does not come out of this situation well. Worse still, it could even harm his ambitions to become a olympic sport. Indeed, it is not certain that the instances of the Jeux Olympiques approve of such practices, whether or not they comply with the rules.

Solutions ?

The first solution seems simple: that the FIP put an end to this system quickly. But it may not be so easy. Indeed, each nation is free to accept or not the nationality of whom she wishes, and the FIP has no power to intervene at this level.

However, it could integrate into the regulation of international competitions a clause stating that a player naturalized must have spent a certain number of years in their new country before being able to represent it in competition.

comments:

We will try to obtain additional information in order to gather all opinions on this controversy.

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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