Padel at the European Parliament four months ahead of the Mediterranean Games. Carraro: “Proud to be here again, taking part in the Taranto Games will be a great emotion”

Exactly four months before the official opening of the Mediterranean Games – Taranto 2026, which will mark yet another official debut of our sport within major international multi-sport events, Padel took centre stage – for the second time within a year – in the prestigious halls of the European Parliament. It did so during a round table entitled “Towards the Mediterranean Games and beyond – The development of Padel in Europe”, which featured, among the speakers, the President of the International Padel Federation, Luigi Carraro. The FIP President took part in the session in the Spinelli Room alongside a distinguished panel of speakers, including the Vice-President of the European Parliament Antonella Sberna, FITP Vice-President Isidoro Alvisi and Italy Davis Cup team manager Michelangelo Dell’Edera; Spanish Padel icon and Spain national team coach Juanjo Gutierrez, Paquito Navarro, and the Director General of the Mediterranean Games Carlo Molfetta.

 

Following the institutional greetings, Carraro highlighted Padel’s presence “for the second time in Brussels within a year, a presence that makes us proud, once again underlining the attention our sport is receiving and encouraging us all to continue striving to do better”. Referring to the Mediterranean Games to be held in Puglia – in Taranto from 21 August to 3 September – Carraro also underlined how “this region is an outstanding ambassador for Italy worldwide, for tourism and for major international sport, hosting a major multi-sport event which, it should be remembered, has been recognised by the International Olympic Committee for over seventy years and which in Taranto will mark the debut of Padel, a first time that will be incredibly exciting for us”. Carraro also paid tribute to two major icons of world Padel: “Paquito Navarro, the most popular player worldwide, outstanding on court but also in the way he engages with spectators and fans”. He also mentioned Juanjo Gutierrez: “First an outstanding player and then a successful coach with leading pairs of players and for the Spanish national team: both he and Paquito will feature at the next FIP World Cup”. Carraro also reflected on the growth of Padel, underlining how it holds a record: “No sport in history has grown and spread as rapidly as Padel, generating a collective passion that involves professionals, of course, but above all the 35 million players worldwide”.

 

Carraro also noted that national federations affiliated with the FIP are part of this growth: “We have reached one hundred federations across the five continents and we will continue to grow. In Europe we have 45 federations: a very significant number, representing almost 50% of the total”. Finally, Carraro acknowledged the work of Michelangelo Dell’Edera, manager of the Italian Davis Cup team, winners of the last three editions: “We are committed to Padel. Last week we held two meetings precisely because Michelangelo has begun this pathway together with the Federal Council of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, with President Angelo Binaghi, and with the support of Isidoro Alvisi — another example of excellence from Puglia involved in sport — who have already changed the history of tennis worldwide”.