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DUBAI: The International Padel Federation has announced that this year’s IPF World Padel Championship, its flagship biennial tournament, will be held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5 at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium.   

Organized by the UAE Padel Association, the Dubai World Padel Championship 2022 operates under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and hosted in association with the Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

At the unveiling of the tournament, the UAE Padel Association outlined its plans to transform the 5,000-seat stadium into a showpiece venue for the six-day international competition.

“Hosting the Dubai World Padel Championship will further expand the profile of padel across the UAE, where the sport is already surging in popularity among men and women across all age groups,” said Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al-Maktoum, president of the the UAE Padel Association. “There is no limit to the growth of the sport across the Emirates, and we hope this world-class event will cement the UAE’s position as a global capital of padel.

“With the world’s best teams and players now heading to the UAE next month, we are finalizing plans to temporarily convert Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium — a venue renowned for decades of tennis excellence — into purpose-built courts that will facilitate the maximum number of spectators to follow the world-class action,” Sheikh Saeed said.

The Dubai World Padel Championship will feature separate men’s and women’s categories, with 16 national teams set to compete in each contest.

The UAE men’s national team will make its IPF World Padel Championship debut on home turf, with the eight-man squad the only one representing the Arabian Gulf against a number of the game’s leading countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain and Uruguay. Three additional nations from the final rounds of European qualifying will be added later this month.

National teams that have qualified for the women’s competition include Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Spain, Uruguay and the US, with two more European teams set to be decided in continental qualifiers.

Ahmed Al-Khajja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “With hundreds of elite padel players, coaching staff, their families and fans all set to visit Dubai for this international tournament, it will also provide a boost to the city’s sports tourism offering.

“Padel is a growing obsession among sports enthusiasts in Dubai and we expect the city’s padel community to come out in force to welcome the world’s best male and female players during the World Padel Championship — especially as it coincides with this year’s Dubai Fitness Challenge.”