Luigi Cararo: Kuwait is the Global Capital of Padel

Luigi Carrao, President of the International Padel Federation, praised Kuwait’s growing international standing in the sport of padel, describing it as the “padel capital of the world” this week due to its hosting of two major international tournaments: the Premier Padel Major and the Asia and Africa qualifiers for the Padel World Cup.

In a statement, Carrao said, “Hosting both tournaments simultaneously represents an unprecedented achievement in the history of the game,” commending Kuwait’s organizational standards, infrastructure, and sports facilities. He emphasized that by hosting these two events, Kuwait has demonstrated its capacity to stage top-tier competitions in accordance with the highest international standards, adding that no country had previously organized two tournaments of such scale at the same time.

On this occasion, Carrao congratulated Kuwait, the tournament organizer BN Group Holdings, and all those involved in organizing the competitions, praising the exceptional organizational levels and Kuwait’s commitment to developing the sport. He noted that “the International Federation’s delegation has visited Kuwait for the third consecutive year, and with each visit, its appreciation for the country grows, particularly due to the hospitality of its people, the professionalism of the organizing teams, and the quality of the facilities and accommodation.”

He described Kuwait’s Premier Padel Major as the best in the world from the players’ perspective, highlighting its immense popularity among fans and viewers on television, noting that it ranks among the most-watched tournaments of the year. He pointed out that hosting the Premier Padel Major alone requires significant organizational capabilities, while simultaneously organizing the Asia and Africa World Cup qualifiers further demonstrates Kuwait’s superior infrastructure and expertise.

Regarding the development of Kuwaiti padel players, Carrao confirmed that he had followed matches featuring Kuwaiti athletes and observed significant improvements in their performance levels. He explained that hosting international tournaments like the Premier Padel Major would greatly contribute to raising the technical standards of local players by providing them with opportunities to compete against elite international players, while also stressing the importance of organizing more tournaments.

Carrao expressed confidence that Kuwait possesses the necessary organizational expertise and player standards to host additional competitions.

Speaking about Kuwait’s regional impact, Carrao described Kuwait and Qatar as the leading countries in developing padel in the region, particularly through the organization of major international tournaments. He praised the growing contributions of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman, while reaffirming Kuwait’s remarkable progress in attracting prestigious international events.