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| (Image Source: Manila Standard/Asia Pacific Padel Tour) |
Last June 25-28, 2026, Padel Pilipinas hosted the Asia Pacific Padel Cup (APPC) 2026 at Play Padel Mckinley West in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City. The tournament organized by the Asia Pacific Padel Tour (APPT) brought together ten teams from seven nations to compete in one of the region’s premier team padel competitions. With the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Brunei, and Thailand competing for regional titles, the APPC now in its third year, reflects the sport’s explosive growth. This year’s tournament is the biggest in APPC history thanks to the addition of a first-ever Amateur Division.
APPT Co-Founder Alex Domenech highlighted the tournament’s role in connecting the region’s growing padel community, stating, “APPC is one of the top team competitions in Asia. It’s a moment to unify, to give visibility, and to connect different countries, cities, and players in one place.” The inclusion of newcomers Brunei and Taiwan emphasizes the sport’s broadening influence across the territory. Domenech stressed that the emergence of these new rival nations indicates the quick development and widespread appeal of padel throughout Asia: “I think it’s proof that padel is now booming.” Delegates from the competing countries shared similar experiences, asserting the rapid growth of the sport within their own borders. Padel is currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in interest and enthusiasm in his home country according to Pakistan Team Captain Amil Asif Tabani. “In the last one year, I think it has exploded. Exploded exponentially. You can find courts in every street at walking distance. The youth only wants to talk about padel,” said Tabani. Taiwan Team Captain Eric Lee, meanwhile, acknowledged that his country’s padel journey is only beginning, stating, “We are padel babies here. It’s only just the beginning of the padel journey in Taiwan.” For Brunei, taking part in APPC is a chance to learn and acquire valuable global experience. “Joining APPC is not just about winning for us. It’s where we start to gain experience and learn from countries who have been playing padel much longer than us,” said Brunei representative Abdul Haadi. Thailand's team captain Gem Asa also mentioned how athletes from other racquet sports are becoming drawn to the sport, stating, “Padel is very attractive not just to tennis players but also badminton players as well. When people start to play this sport, people want to get more involved.” Argil Lance “LA” Cañizares, captain of the Philippine team, welcomed the increased pressure, pointing out that competing at home presents a unique opportunity. He revealed that playing in front of loved ones, friends, and local supporters gives the event a deeper significance and inevitably raises the stakes for the national team. He said, “This pressure will motivate us to defend the tournament this year.” Teams have intensified their training regimens in anticipation of both APPC and the continental showcase later this year. “The preparation for this tournament has by far been at the highest levels. We are fully invested. We are all in,” said Tabani. South Korea’s Jiwon Lee echoed the commitment shared by teams across the region, stating, “We all just finished training at 11:00 pm last night and got on a 6:00 am flight. Most of us have had about three hours of sleep. The passion and the preparation are super, super high.”
On the other hand, the Asia Pacific Padel Cup (APPC) 2026 naturally brought in a boost in Philippine tourism, most especially in the hospitality industry as the need for hotel and transport accommodations, restaurants and entertainment hubs to welcome the delegations became a priority. “Hosting international competitions like the Asia Pacific Padel Cup demonstrates how sports can drive tourism, create economic opportunities for local communities, and elevate the Philippines’ standing on the global sporting stage. This is exactly the kind of initiative that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is proud to support as we continue to strengthen the country’s sports ecosystem,” said PSC Chair Patrick “Pato” Gregorio. In addition to boosting the local padel community and giving Filipino athletes a chance to play against the finest in the region, APPC 2026 seeks to establish the Philippines as a developing hub for international padel and sports tourism in Asia. The tournament was strongly supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the PSC. POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino expressed a profound support to Padel Pilipinas as host to the regional competition. The APPC 2026 was lauded as an important milestone in the continued growth of padel in the Asia-Pacific region by Padel Pilipinas President Jeff Cheng. The introduction of an amateur division this year was a significant breakthrough, as it allowed grassroots players to participate in the competition for the first time. Cheng said that the action is aligned with Padel Pilipinas’ long-term goals of creating a sustainable ecosystem for the sport through expanded court availability nationwide, improved club support, grassroots involvement and coach development. The program intends to encourage participation and help advance the sports expansion across the country and among Filipinos. The inclusion of amateur competition reflects global trends in padel, where a major factor in growth has been the integration of grassroots involvement with elite-level competitions. Internationally, the sport continues to spread fast with rising investment in facilities, competitions, and community activities that help transform recreational players into lifetime participants and supporters. Beyond its impact on competition and tourism, APPC 2026 showed how popular padel is becoming online in the region. Over the course of the four-day tournament, APPC material produced more than 2.5 million views and reached 263,500 unique accounts across digital platforms, exhibiting unprecedented online interest in the event and the sport itself. The tournament’s digital coverage, which included player features, match highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, live updates, and championship moments, allowed fans from all around Asia and beyond to follow the action in real time. The high level of engagement not only made participating individuals and countries more visible, but it also introduced the sport to new audiences through dynamic, shareable content.
With the Philippines successful hosting of the APPC 2026, Domenech saw it as a blatant sign of the country’s thriving renown in the global padel scene. He pointed out that Padel Pilipinas and the local padel industry have demonstrated their ability to oversee significant competitions and spearhead the growth of the sport throughout Asia, placing the nation at the forefront of the padel movement in the region. Throughout four days of high-stakes competition, the Asia Pacific Padel Cup 2026 highlighted the immense talent, enthusiasm, and swift expansion of the sport. The integration of debut nations alongside the successful rollout of the Amateur Division made this the most expansive edition of the tournament to date, signaling a highly promising trajectory for padel throughout the Asia-Pacific. Looking ahead to future editions of the Asia Pacific Padel Cup, the success of APPC 2026 emphasizes the sport’s power to drive tourism, foster community, and strengthen regional ties. By blending elite international play, grassroots outreach, and a strong digital presence, the tournament spotlighted both the rapid expansion of padel and the Philippines’ proven ability to stage world-class athletic events.
