Nagoya:The Qatar padel team has achieved a historic milestone by winning the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan. This marks the sport's first appearance in the official Asian Games program and is considered a significant source of pride for Qatari sports.
According to Qatar News Agency, Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, President of the Qatar Tennis, Squash, Padel and Badminton Federation, expressed that this victory is a testament to the development of padel in Qatar. He attributed the achievement to the support provided by the country's leadership.
The Qatari duo, Rashid Nawaf and Mishari Nawaf, secured the gold medal by defeating Malaysia's team with a score of 6-3, 6-1 in the final. This victory is notable as it represents the first gold medal in the history of padel at the Asian Games.
Al Khelaifi congratulated the players, along with the coaching and administrative staff, for their exceptional performance and efforts throughout the competition. He emphasized that this inaugural gold medal win at the Asian Games is an incentive to build on the team's accomplishments in future competitions.
He also mentioned the federation's commitment to continue providing comprehensive support to the players, aiming to enhance Qatar's presence in both continental and international tournaments, thereby achieving more successes in Qatari sports.
Tariq Zainal, the federation's secretary-general and president of the Asian Padel Federation, highlighted that the victory marks a new chapter for the national team. He expressed confidence in the Nawaf brothers and the rest of the team, as Qatar looks forward to competing strongly at the upcoming World Championship.
Qatar is set to host the Padel World Championship from November 2 to 7, featuring 16 men's and 16 women's national teams.