Padel at the XIII South American Games 2026 in Santa Fe: Sixteen pairs from eight countries compete for the first historic medals

• The official tournament gets underway today in Rafaela, marking the first time Padel is a medal sport at the multi-sport event
• Following the group stage with two groups of four pairs, the competition will continue with the semi-finals on Thursday 24 and the finals on Friday 25

 

SANTA FE – Padel is set to write another chapter in its history with its participation in the XIII South American Games, taking place in Santa Fe, Argentina, until 26 September. The Padel competition, taking place from 22 to 25 September, marks the inclusion of the sport in the South American multi-sport event following the exhibition matches held at the Asuncion 2022 edition. Eight men’s pairs and eight women’s pairs will represent as many countries, with a total of 32 athletes competing for the first historic medals.

 

FORMAT The competition will begin with a group stage. In both the men’s and women’s events, the pairs have been divided into two groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semi-finals, with the Group A winners facing the Group B runners-up and the Group B winners facing the Group A runners-up. The winners will then meet in the final for the gold medal, while the semi-final losers will compete for third place.

 

The matches, which get underway today, will take place in the city of Rafaela, at the new Microestadio. The first two days will be dedicated to the group stage. On Day 3, Thursday 24, the semi-finals will be played, while the finals will take place on Friday 25 September. The matches will be broadcast on the Odesur YouTube channel.

 

Men’s Group A:

Santino Contreras/Nacho Piotto (Argentina)

Matias Negrete Oliva/Daniel Salinas Ordenes (Chile)

Claudio Oropeza/Mateo Torrelio (Bolivia)

Octavio Enzo Ceballos Dorazi/Sergio Andres Monges Leon (Peru)

 

Men’s Group B:

Martin Abud/Facundo Dehnike (Paraguay)

Diego Gonzalez Almedo/Eduardo Andre Lopez Figuera (Venezuela)

Juan Ignacio Artia Malugani/Higor Ensslin Alves (Uruguay)

Sebastian Armijos/Estefano Mateo Montoya Pinchao (Ecuador).

 

Women’s Group A:

Kimberley Ahumada Carrasco/Catalina Arancibia (Chile)

Micaela Meneses Cuellar/Michelle Doria Medina Aviles (Bolivia)

Luciana Cogorno/Agatha Hernandez (Venezuela)

Nicole Aragones Miro Quesada/Maria Paula Torres Draxl (Peru)

 

Women’s Group B:

Victoria Milena Vilchez/Maria Belen Mosca (Argentina)

Mariana Lucia Salsamendi Guggiari/Olga Bareiro (Paraguay)

Camila Belassi/Camila David De Lima Gonzalez (Uruguay)

Alejandra Alvarez/Marines Holguin Reyes (Ecuador).

 

The inclusion of Padel in the programme of the South American Games represents further recognition for the sport’s global community and for the work carried out by the International Padel Federation and the national federations with commitment and dedication. It is a journey founded on principles including inclusion, social interaction and respect for the values of the Olympic Charter, recognising sport as an important vehicle for education, culture and bringing people together. The FIP is thus reaching another milestone in its expansion. This journey has seen Padel take centre stage this year at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto last month and will continue with the Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, taking place from 28 September to 3 October, as well as the 2026 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh and the 2027 European Games in Istanbul.