The men’s competition will witness the participation of 38 teams, while women will see a total of 34 competing for the grand title.
Just one month before the grand FIFA World Cup, the XVI World Padel Championship for both men and women will once again be coming to Qatar.
This year’s edition will be hosted by the Qatar Tennis, Squash, and Badminton Federation (QTSBF) at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex from October 31 to November 5.
A total of 38 teams, 10 of which have already directly qualified, including host country Qatar, will be going head to head on the court for a chance to secure the title of Padel champion.
Meanwhile, the women’s competition will see a total of 34 teams, 10 of which have already qualified.
All-time favourites Spain is taking the lead this year thanks to its dominant standings, but will still face off with various world champions for a chance to protect its reigning title.
“We are very proud that Qatar has won the honour of organising the 2022 World Championships for men and women in a row, which reflects the confidence of the International Padel Federation in the capabilities of Qatar in organising major tournaments and sporting events,” said Nasser bin Ghanim al-Khelaifi, President of the QTSBF.
“The distinguished global position that Qatar enjoys in the sports field is a result of the unstinted support of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for sports in the country and the state’s confidence in its people and their capabilities to achieve the desired success.”
With the sport significantly gaining popularity in the region, Qatar’s federation has been investing heavily in padel to ensure the country is providing necessary tools for champions to emerge.
New padel courts have been opening across the country, with most finding themselves fully booked thanks to rising demand. Earlier this year, the country hosted Qatar Major 2022 Padel tournament with the participation of the world’s top padel players who battled to secure the grand title an enormous money prize.
Registration for the event broke new records with 123 pairs from 19 different countries. Previously, the record for international padel tournaments reached a maximum of 50 pairs.
With that being said, the upcoming world tournament is expected to break yet more records in November.
“Despite the recent spread of the padel game in Qatar compared to the countries in which it originated, its popularity has increased dramatically in a very short time, due to the interest that the state and the private sector have accompanied through sports investment, whether in infrastructure or players,” said Tariq Zainal, Secretary-General of QSTBF and director of the championship
“Qatar has raised the world’s top regulatory standards and it has succeeded in hosting the most important tournaments, including last year’s edition of the world championship.”
The president also highlighted that the federation has all the administrative, human, and logistical resources necessary to produce a never before seen, spectacular World Padel Championship in 2022.
In 2021, the Gulf country welcomed on its lands the Middle East and Asia’s first-ever Padel World Championship after it was held in Latin America and Europe.
