FIP World Cup Director: Qatar Achieved Remarkable Success and a Qualitative Leap in 2026

Tariq Zainal, Secretary-General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation and Director of FIP World Cup Qatar 2026, affirmed that Qatar achieved a qualitative leap by hosting the tournament for the third time and delivered remarkable success that drew praise from International Padel Federation officials and leading male and female world champions.

Speaking on Thursday evening ahead of Friday’s semifinals at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, Zainal said all participating men’s and women’s national teams praised the tournament’s standard. He said the competition was proceeding according to the highest organisational standards and featuring high-level performances that reflected padel’s significant development worldwide.

Zainal, who also serves as Secretary-General of the Asian Padel Federation, said the participation of two Asian teams, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, alongside the world’s leading and highest-ranked national teams represented major progress for Asian padel, which has recently experienced significant growth. He noted that Qatar was making considerable efforts to develop and expand the sport across Asia.

Discussing the Qatar national team’s commendable performance, Zainal praised the players’ technical standard and strong fighting spirit throughout the tournament. He affirmed that despite not qualifying for the quarterfinals, Al Adaam delivered strong performances against teams from countries with long-established padel traditions and proved a genuine competitor in most encounters, benefiting from the significant morale boost following its historic gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

He said Qatar came very close to victory and qualification in its encounter with Chile, with the men’s team winning one of the three matches and producing a heroic performance. Al Adaam’s players also secured another match victory against Germany, which he described as progress reflected in winning two matches during the World Cup.

Zainal stressed that Doha’s hosting of the FIP World Cup for the third time, following the 2021 and 2024 editions, and the award of the 2026 and 2028 hosting rights demonstrated the International Padel Federation’s absolute confidence in Qatar’s organisational capabilities, advanced sports infrastructure and qualified national personnel.

The tournament director concluded by expressing pride in the widespread praise received by the organising committee from participating delegations and International Padel Federation officials. He affirmed the Qatar federation’s commitment to continuing to deliver an exceptional edition befitting Qatar’s status as a global sports capital through the final scheduled for Saturday.

Source: QNA

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