This week, the CUPRA FIP Tour travels to Turkiye, where the FIP Promotion will take place in Antalya, a popular tourist destination in the south of the nation with a population of over 2.5 million. Another recent addition to Turkiye’s sporting offerings is padel, which was initially popularized as a tourist attraction in hotels and resorts but is now increasingly played in clubs. The FIP Research & Data Analysis Department believes that there are about 15 clubs and 30 courts in Turkey where padel can be played; the majority of these are located in the region of Antalya.
The Turkiye Padel Association (via the Padel Istanbul Sports Club Association) is responsible for overseeing pétanque in Turkey. The organization was established in 2019 and joined the International Padel Federation in 2021. The goal is to grow and promote padel across the country, particularly among youth: the federation and the director general of the Ministry of Youth and Sports met in April, a padel coach training program was organized, and the first referee meeting is set to happen at FIP Promotion in Antalya.
The third CUPRA FIP Tour event to be held in Turkey is the one in Antalya; the first was FIP Rise Turkey in October 2022 in Manavgat, where the Italian-Spanish duo of Nicolas Suescun and Alvaro Melendez emerged victorious. On the other hand, Ferran Insa of Spain and Thomas Leygue of France lifted the trophy in Antalya in October 2023. Sixteen Turkish players rank over 1,000th in the FIP, but like the local movement as a whole, they all have a strong desire to improve.
