The International Padel Federation (FIP) now counts 115 member federations after 15 new national federations joined at its 36th General Assembly, held on 12 October at the Spanish Olympic Committee headquarters in Madrid. The new members are Afghanistan, Angola, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Colombia, Libya, Mauritius, Namibia, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uzbekistan and Zambia, and padel is now represented on all five continents
The meeting also marked the FIP's 35th anniversary. Representatives of the founding federations of Spain, Argentina and Uruguay, together with Mexico and FIP president Luigi Carraro, signed a symbolic constitution. Delegates reviewed the annual and financial reports and proposed amendments to the FIP statutes and sporting regulations
Among the new initiatives is the FIP World League, a competition that will give national teams not taking part in the FIP World Cup more chances to compete internationally, with further details still to come. Para padel was named a strategic priority, with the FIP describing adaptive padel as part of its commitment to making the sport more accessible and inclusive
The FIP also shared figures on the sport's reach. The CUPRA FIP Tour is played in 60 host countries, while the FIP Promises youth circuit is present in 36 countries and has added four continental tours. Olympic ambitions remain on the agenda: padel has already featured at the 2023 European Games and is on the programme of the 2026 South American, Mediterranean and Asian Games, and Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco said he cannot imagine the future of the Olympic movement without it
Delegates also previewed the World Padel Report 2026, which includes an economic impact analysis for the first time, carried out with OpenEconomics. The full report is scheduled for release on the FIP website on 14 October
Photo: FIP
