Pakistan to host its first international padel tournament

Pakistan is to host its first international padel tournament and welcome Asia’s top players as the country looks to cement its status on the global padel stage.

Two years after opening Pakistan’s first padel courts, the Legends Arena in Karachi will host the McDonald’s Padel Karachi Grand Slam as part of the Asia Pacific Padel Tour (APPT) from October 30 to November 2.

The competition marks a significant milestone in padel’s development in Pakistan, with the sport experiencing outstanding growth over the past two years. The country now has over 350 courts, with Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad the major padel hubs.

Pakistan’s dedicated sports channel A–Sports will broadcast the tournament via its linear channel and its streaming platform ARY Zap.

The media deal was announced after tournament organisers Total Sports secured McDonald’s Pakistan as headline sponsor and Coca-Cola as associate sponsor for the tournament.

The competition, which has a total prize fund of US$13,000, will feature men’s and women’s professional tournaments as well as men’s, women’s and mixed amateur events.

Pakistan has a rich racquet sports history, yet padel’s growth in the country has largely gone unnoticed by the wider padel industry, despite having a similar amount of courts as the US.

Hosting the APPT is the first in a strategic step by Legends Arena to bring the focus on the rise of padel and its potential in the country.

The padel boom is also being backed by one of the country’s most famous sporting sons – legendary squash player Jahangir Khan.

“When we started two years ago there was a lot of interest in padel but the standard wasn’t that high as everyone was just learning,” he said. “But now, in two years, I can see it's a very different standard of padel here.

“Having the international tournament here at Legends Arena will be a boost to the younger generation, especially those taking up this sport very seriously.

“It will also give our players the opportunity to see what level they are at. I am confident that in the future, we just might have some of the top players from here as well.”

The APPT has put a sharp focus on padel across Asia since its launch in 2023, with this year’s schedule featuring 34 events.

APPT CEO Carlos Carrillo said: “We are excited to come to Pakistan for the first time and bring international competition to the country.

“It is a pleasure to do so in collaboration with Legends Arena, one of the best venues we will visit this season, and with a team we have already worked with during the year, a team in which we have full confidence to deliver an outstanding event at the end of October."

Talal Shah, CEO of Total Sports and Legends Arena, added: “After Team Pakistan’s debut at the Asia Pacific Padel Cup in Kuala Lumpur and our participation at the Singapore Masters, hosting an international event of this scale at home marks the next big step in our journey. 

“We are excited to welcome top talent from across the region and to showcase Pakistan as a hub for world-class sporting events.”

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