Has padel now become part of major multisport competitions? The XIII South American Games gave it medal-sport status for the first time, from September 22 to 25, 2026, in Rafaela, Argentina. This is an important institutional recognition, but on its own it does not measure changes in participation or predict club attendance.
What happened in Rafaela
According to the International Padel Federation (FIP), the competition brought together 16 pairs from eight countries, in men’s and women’s draws. At the 2022 edition, padel was featured in exhibition matches; in 2026, teams competed for medals. Argentina and Paraguay won the first padel gold medals at these Games. The FIP reports that the final was played in front of a full house.
These results relate to the 2026 South American Games. They do not constitute a world ranking and, on their own, do not prove that padel’s popularity is growing internationally.
A growing presence in multisport events
The FIP also mentions padel at the 2026 Mediterranean Games. As of September 27, its debut at the Asian Games in Nagoya, scheduled for September 28 to October 3, is still to come. It is therefore a future event, not one that has already taken place.
Padel’s presence at several multisport events indicates that it is finding a place in new competition settings. It does not mean that the sport has been included in every major event, or that its effects on clubs have already been established.
What clubs can take from this
For a club, these medals can be a subject for communication or an opportunity to talk about competition with its players. But they are not enough to justify a forecast of increased bookings or an investment. To assess local interest, it is better to monitor the club’s own indicators: bookings, court occupancy, lesson registrations and tournament participation.
The signal is therefore primarily institutional: padel events for medals have been held at the South American Games, and other multisport competitions are on the calendar. The lasting effects on participation and club activity remain to be established.
Photo : padelfip.com.
