”I am sure that padel will become an Olympic sport”

The Olympic Games are underway in Tokyo. Meanwhile, people are working hard to make padel a discipline in the future. Padel Alto has met two of them. So, will it happen? 
— I am sure that padel will become an Olympic sport, Antonino Labate, Director in Cupra, says to Padel Alto. 

Football, tennis, basketball. But also field hockey, water polo, and archery. The Olympic Games are currently being held in Tokyo. Is there a place for the sport of padel in the future? 

Padel Alto has met two major actors within padel who are working hard to get padel more global and into the Olympic Games. And for them, the answer to the question is obvious. 

—  I am sure that padel will become an Olympic sport, Antonino Labate, Director of Strategy, Business Development, and Operations of the car brand Cupra, says.

— We want to help the sport to be a global sport and be relevant. Hopefully, we are an Olympic sport soon, Iñaki Cabrera, Commercial Manager of the global sports brand Wilson, says. 

Padel has gone from being successful in Argentina and Spain with their surrounding areas to growing dramatically in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. 

But how will padel become one of the currently 33 sports included in the Olympic Games?  

— Firstly, we need to build a strong basic fundament that can support the sport's growth. The second step is to work on a regional level, especially in two markets: The US and Asia. Of course, we have some challenges to pass. In infrastructure, for example, Iñaki Cabrera says. 

”By far the sport with the highest opportunity to grow.”

He has worked hard to push the padel for ten years for the global American sports brand Wilson, big in sports like American football, baseball, basketball, golf, and more. 

Even back then, he saw the potential of the sport padel, though it was mostly in Spain. Now padel is going global. 

— When we are talking about the potential, I can tell you by far that padel is the sport with the highest opportunity to grow for the next 10-15 years, he says. 

And continues: 

— And when I say by far, it is by far. We have never experienced a sport or a category that can be whatever millions in the future, Iñaki Cabrera says.

”Bela is Wilson, and Wilson is Bela”

Spain is the great pioneer in the development of the sport in Europe. But also in countries like Sweden, Belgium, and Italy, the sport is growing rapidly and is seen as the new pioneers of the padel growth. 

— It´s impressive how fast it is growing now, Iñaki Cabrera says about the booming. 

Wilson has been investing heavily in padel for a few years. This has been evident in signing the world's biggest padel brand and the biggest icon of them all in the sport, Fernando Belasteguin. 

In 2020 Bela went from Head to Wilson. 

— Bela is Wilson, and Wilson is Bela. He is very involved in the brand in every aspect. It is a long-term project, and we want Bela to be involved in our brand forever. 

”That it is impossible, and you can not do it.”

Another brand deeply involved in the growth of the padel is the Cupra car brand, with its base in Barcelona. 

For Padel Alto, Antonino Labate talks about his ideas to help the sport become an Olympic sport. 

— We feel the passion in padel, and to move this sport into the Olympics is something that challenges us every day. We love that challenge. 

— People say: ”That it is impossible and you can not do it.” We say: ”Okey, we will do it.” Antonino Labate, Director of Cupra, says. 

Antonino Labate is from Italy but lives in Barcelona, which he calls the capital of padel. 

— Only two years ago in Italy, padel was practiced by less than 100 000 people. This year is the number 1,2 million. It’s the same in Sweden, Denmark, France. In Denmark, nobody played before, he says. 

Neither Iñaki Cabrera nor Antonino Labate wants to go into when padel becomes an Olympic sport. 

— We will see. I can say that Cupra is in padel to remain and make this sport reach that level, Antonino Labate says. 

— I would not put a date or deadline on the achievement. I think it's more important to do the right things from the start, Iñaki Cabrera says.