In addition to the FIP Platinum Sardinia, currently underway and with finals on Saturday from 6.30pm, the eight courts of the Tennis Club Cagliari will host one of the main international padel tournaments next week: the European Championships. The thirteenth edition of the team event was presented this morning to the Tourism Department, in view of the inaugural ceremony and the draw for the group stage which will be held on Sunday at the Monte Urpinu facility. With already record numbers, which come alongside the +400% of fields (372) on the island from January 2021 to today. «We return to Sardinia with the largest event that our federation has ever organised, in terms of number of participants: 32 national teams and 320 members, more than we host during the Italian Internationals in Rome», announces FITP president Angelo Binaghi. «We are creating an event that has an impact on the territory: we have requisitioned six hotels in Cagliari, at a time when the tourist season is in full swing, and we will promote the capital and Sardinia in the world with all 250 races broadcast live in Italy on SuperTennis, Europe and other non-European nations."
The program. Sixteen national teams participate in each draw, with eight players each. Among men, in order of ranking, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, Holland, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Monaco, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. Among women, Spain (favorite in both cases), France, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Estonia, Lithuania, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal and Hungary. The group stage runs from Monday to Wednesday, then continues until the finals on Saturday 27th. All at a cost of two million euros, of which 500,000 euros with the contribution of the Sardinia Region. «This event is the result of a political choice by this regional administration: it was not foreseen, we took the opportunity by bending over backwards on an economic level to organize it and we are happy to be able to host it», reports the regional councilor for Tourism Franco Cuccureddu. «We renew our commitment to hosting events of this level, which enrich the external image of the city and are a feather in its cap», adds the new municipal sports councilor Giuseppe Macciotta. And with a preview, given by FIP president Luigi Carraro: «Next week, here in Cagliari which has now become one of the world capitals of this sport, the new European Padel Federation will be established».