LAHORE: The Pakistan Padel Federation (PPF) successfully organised the inaugural National Padel Championship, marking a landmark moment for the sport’s formal recognition and structured growth in the country. The event, sanctioned by the Pakistan Sports Board, saw a robust turnout of over 100 players from across the nation, signalling rising interest in the racket sport.
Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan graced the concluding ceremony as the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor lauded the federation’s efforts in providing a platform for the youth and distributed trophies and cash prizes among the top performers. The ceremony was also attended by prominent social figures and senior sports administrators.
In a highly anticipated Men’s Open final, Huzaima Abdul Rehman and Huzaifa Abdul Rehman clinched the title against Sami Zain Khan and Ahmed Kamil, securing victory with a score of 6-1 & 6-2. The Women’s Open category saw Asifa Shahbaz and Shiza Sajid outclassing Ushna Sohail and Mehak Khokhar to emerge as the national champions.
Meanwhile, in the Veterans category, Muhammad Qasim and Faisal Anwar displayed superior tactical prowess to defeat Muhammad Danish and Faraz Ahsan to claim the inaugural title.
The championship featured a lucrative prize pool totalling PKR 3 million. The winners of the Men’s Open were awarded PKR 500,000, while the runners-up received PKR 300,000. In both the Women’s and Veterans categories, the winners took home PKR 350,000 each, with PKR 200,000 going to the runners-up. In a move to encourage talent, cash incentives were also distributed among the semi-finalists and quarter-finalists.
The successful execution of the championship, backed by high-level government presence, has been widely welcomed by the sporting fraternity as a crucial step toward diversifying the country’s sports landscape and fostering youth engagement.
