Bangkok: The Thai Padel Association has announced its four-athlete roster for the upcoming 2026 Asian Games and revealed plans to host a world-level competition in Thailand, aiming to elevate Thai padels to the international stage.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Suphalak Chairoj, President of the Thai Padel Association, expressed the readiness of the Thai padel team to compete in the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled from September 28th to October 4th. The Thai team will feature two pairs: the men's team with Arnop Ravel and Stefano Mochola, and the women's team with Dares Srirungruang and Natalie Nakprasert, all vying for two gold medals.
Ms. Suphalak highlighted the positive results from last year's Asia Cup, where the women's team achieved a 6th place finish out of 17 countries. She emphasized that the athletes have been training continuously and are poised to achieve better results. The primary objective is to perform at their best, gain invaluable experience, and potentially secure medals at the 2027 SEA Games. Additionally, the Thai Padel Association is gearing up to host the FIP Bronze and Silver World Championships, which will provide Thai athletes with opportunities to accumulate world ranking points and advance padel into a fully-fledged sports association in Thailand.
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, attracting over 35 million players across more than 150 countries. In Thailand, the sport is flourishing with a padel club featuring over 300 courts and more than 6,000 regular players. This doubles racket sport, which blends elements of tennis and squash, has rapidly gained popularity worldwide and will be included as an official medal event in the 2026 Asian Games for the first time.