Official statement FIP

The International Padel Federation (FIP) acknowledges the disappointment of some Swiss male players who will not compete in the men’s competition at the European Qualifiers of the FIP World Cup.

 

Under the competition regulations, national teams must be entered through FIP’s recognised member federations. Although Swiss Padel, a FIP-recognised member federation since 2007, had initially pre-registered both men’s and women’s teams, after the final registration deadline, a spokesperson for some Swiss players, who defined themselves as the “official national team,” contacted FIP directly, claiming to represent the official Swiss men’s national team.

 

In accordance with its procedures, FIP contacted Swiss Padel to verify the validity of the team’s entry. Swiss Padel confirmed that it had decided not to enter a men’s team in the competition and that the registration had not been submitted by, or through, the federation. As a result, FIP was unable to accept the entry proposed by the said group of players, in line with the applicable regulations, which apply equally to all member nations.

 

Switzerland’s women’s team was duly registered and is participating in the event currently taking place in Madrid.

 

The matter has been referred to the next meeting of the FIP Board of Directors. FIP respects the autonomy of its national member federations regarding internal disputes between national stakeholders. Its role in this registration process is to ensure the consistent application of the competition regulations.

 

FIP encourages constructive dialogue among all parties, with a shared focus on supporting athletes and the development of padel in Switzerland.

 

Any further information related to the governance and administration of Padel within Switzerland can be obtained contacting directly the recognised FIP member federation for Switzerland at: https://www.padelfip.com/federation/switzerland/