The first-ever International Padel Federation (FIP) organised youth event in Qatar concluded yesterday at Padel In within Aspire Zone. The FIP Promises Aspire Academy Tournament, part of a global tour for youth padel players, marked a significant moment in Aspire Academy’s 20th-anniversary celebrations.
Featuring Under-14 and Under-16 players, this event underscored Aspire Academy’s partnership with the Qatar Padel Federation to boost youth engagement in the sport across the region.
The tournament’s final matches drew the attendance of Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy Director General at Aspire Academy, Badr al-Hay, Director of Education, Ali Sultan Fakhroo, Head of Shared Services at Aspire Academy, Alanoud al-Mesnad, Director of Marketing and Communication at Aspire Academy and Mariano Amat Padel head coach - Aspire Academy.
Spain dominates event
The under-16 event was won by Izan Violero Lloret and Javier Bolumar Orti from Spain who beat compatriots Rafa Lacuesta Martinez and Jose Manuel Lillo Albertos 2 sets to 1. It was the same score in the under-14 event as Jaime Rodriguez Gonzalez and Eduardo Vazquez Moruno, also from Spain beat their fellow countrymen Javier Garcia Alonso and Lucas Villa Gimenez.
The standout performance by a Qatari player was fourth place in the under-16 for Aspire Academy student-athlete Abdulrahman Khalid Alyafei and his Spanish partner Antonio Gracia Fernandez who lost a tight match against Javier Garcia Caro and Rafael Reyes Moreno from Spain.
Following the thrilling finals, a ceremony was held at Padel In at Aspire Zone, where the winners were awarded trophies and medals to celebrate their achievements and highlighting the growing talent within the sport of padel.
The FIP Promises tournament brought together 22 teams from Qatar, Spain, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Kuwait, providing a valuable platform for emerging padel
talent. This inaugural event has furthered Aspire’s commitment to fostering young padel talent and contributing to a global movement of youth sports development. Many of the Spanish players at the event also spent a week at Aspire Academy for an intensive training camp that also featured a number of physical tests to record relevant data using the very latest technology.
Mariano Amat, Padel Head Coach at Aspire Academy, emphasized the importance of hosting international events and teams to elevate the program’s competitiveness and align it with global standards. He stated: “Events like FIP are essential for raising our programme to an international level, comparable to countries like Spain. Hosting top teams, such as those from Spain, elevates our competitiveness and provides valuable opportunities to test and benchmark our programme.”
Among the participants were all nine of Aspire Academy’s own padel student-athletes, representing Qatar’s future in the sport. They were joined by Yousef Largach and Elias Lejmi in the under-14 category, the duo are part of Aspire Academy pre-academy training programme and are aiming to join the Academy full-time in the future. Also in the under-14 category, Aspire Academy’s Hamad Mohammed al-Modadi teamed up with Spain’s Alex Acelga Dominguez as the top seeds, alongside Ali Abdulrahman al-Malik, who partnered with Qatar’s Ahmed Hassan, and Essa al-Kuwari with Ali Ebrahim al-Malik, all Aspire student-athletes. For the Under-16 category, Aspire was represented by Abdulrahman Khalid Alyafei, Saadon Alkuwari, Rayan Meknassi, Mohammed Ali al-Hiji, and Abdulla Alqadi.
Additionally, four other players from the broader Qatari padel community participated, contributing to a strong national showing in both categories. Through its partnership with QPF, Aspire Academy has become a regional leader in padel, one of the fastest-growing sports globally. Since adopting padel as a core sport last year, Aspire has amplified Qatar’s presence on the international padel stage.
Hosting this FIP Promises event is a testament to Aspire’s mission to nurture young athletes and position Qatar as a central hub
for padel’s growth in the Middle East.“As part of Aspire Academy’s 20th anniversary celebrations, we are thrilled to host Qatar’s inaugural event on the FIP Promises tour, featuring young talent who embody the future of padel,” said Ali Salem Afifa, Deputy Director General at Aspire Academy.
