From the heart of Doha, a new story of excitement and challenge begins today, with the launch of the World Padel Cup – Qatar 2026, hosted by the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex during the period from 2 to 7 November, with the participation of an elite group of the most prominent stars of the game in the world, representing 32 national teams, 16 teams for men and the same for women, in a global sporting event that reflects the advanced position that Qatar has reached on the map of international sports.
Attention is turning to the stadiums of the Khalifa International Complex, which will be the scene of strong competitions and anticipated confrontations between the best teams, in light of the great ambitions of everyone to compete for the world title, amid expectations of a distinguished public presence and wide media follow-up, especially since the tournament brings together an elite group of the top ranked men and women in the world.
A balanced draw and a great challenge for the supporters
The draw for the tournament was held yesterday, and resulted in our national team falling into the third group alongside the teams of Germany, Chile and Portugal, a group that includes different schools in the game, which forces the Al-Adam to engage in strong confrontations from the beginning of the journey, in search of one of the two qualifying cards to the quarter-finals.
The tournament witnesses the participation of 16 teams in each category, distributed into four groups, each group includes four teams, and each team competes with the rest of the teams in its group in a single-round league system. The confrontation between two teams consists of three doubles matches, and the victory is decided by the team that succeeds in winning two matches, while the first and second from each group qualify for the quarter-finals, after which the knockout matches begin, leading to the semi-finals and the final, in addition to holding ranking matches to determine the final positions of the remaining teams.
The most supportive…a global ambition supported
Nagoya Asiad gold medal
Our national team enters the competitions with great ambitions, based on the historic achievement it recently achieved in the Asian Games “Asiad” in the Japanese city of Aichi-Nagoya, after winning the gold medal in the padel competitions, in an unprecedented achievement for the game since its inclusion in the Asian Games competitions.
Al-Adam, which occupies a high position among the top ten teams in the world, hopes that this achievement will be translated into positive results in the World Cup, benefiting from the ground staff and the audience, and from the high morale that the players are in after the Asian brilliance.
The team’s roster includes eight players: Rashid Nayef, Mohammed Al-Kuwari, Mohammed Saadoun Al-Kuwari, Mishari Nayef, Al-Khanji, Khaled Al-Kuwari, Issa Al-Harrasi, Hassan Wali, and Rayan Al-Jufairi. The group combines experience, youth and ambition, amid hopes of presenting levels befitting the development of the Qatari padel.
The team continued its preparations after the Asian participation through a training camp in Doha, during which the technical staff focused on raising the levels of physical and technical readiness and enhancing harmony between the players, in preparation for facing the elite international teams.
Doha…the capital of major sporting events
Qatar’s hosting of the tournament for the third time, after the 2021 and 2024 editions, reaffirms the great confidence that Doha enjoys from the International Padel Federation, and the prestigious position it has established as one of the most prominent global sports capitals, thanks to its advanced infrastructure and accumulated organizational experience in hosting major international tournaments and events.
Record prizes enhance the strength of the competition
The Qatar 2026 edition is expected to witness exceptional levels of competition, not only in terms of artistic participation, but also through record financial prizes, as the total value of the prizes amounts to about 1.2 million euros, increasing to 1.35 million euros in the 2028 edition.
Tariq Zainal: Qatar is ready to host the World Championship
Tariq Zainal, Secretary General of the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Padel Federation, and Director of the World Padel Championship – Qatar 2026, confirmed that all preparations and preparations have been completed for the launch of the major global event, which Doha is hosting starting today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, with the participation of 32 men’s and women’s teams, in one of the most prominent international tournaments that attracts the elite teams and stars in the sport of padel.
Zainal said that Qatar is fully prepared to host this global event, and that the Khalifa International Complex will be in its best shape, after completing the preparation of the stadiums and all facilities and installations, and completing all organizational, technical and logistical arrangements, ensuring the presentation of a distinguished version that reflects the great potential that the country possesses in organizing major tournaments.
He added that the organizing committee worked during the last period to provide all the requirements for success, through continuous coordination with the International Padel Federation and all concerned parties and partners, with the aim of creating the best atmosphere for the participating teams. Zainal pointed out that Qatar’s acquisition of the right to host the two editions of the World Padel Championship in 2026 and 2028 reflects the amount of international confidence in its organizational capabilities, and the advanced sports facilities it possesses and qualified national cadres with great experience in organizing and hosting major international tournaments and sporting events.
He explained that granting Qatar the right to organize two successive editions of the tournament represents an important milestone in the development of padel, and confirms the distinguished position that the country occupies on the global sports map.
He said: “We look forward to organizing an exceptional edition worthy of Qatar’s name and sporting status, in cooperation with the International Padel Federation and all our partners, and we are working to present a distinguished tournament at the organizational and technical levels.
Doha continues to amaze the world
He stressed that Doha’s hosting of this global event comes as an extension of its proven track record in organizing major international sporting events, and an embodiment of the continued confidence it enjoys from international sports federations, thanks to its advanced infrastructure, great organizational experience, and ability to present tournaments of international standards.
He added that the Qatari Federation is keen to invest this important hosting in supporting the spread of padel and expanding the base of its practitioners, especially since the game is witnessing rapid growth at the global level and is receiving increasing interest from various age groups.
Annabi is ready and our ambition is podiums
Regarding the Qatari team’s preparations to participate in the tournament, Zainal confirmed that Al Annabi is fully prepared to participate in the competitions, having undergone a strong preparatory camp as part of its preparatory program, with the aim of reaching the highest levels of technical and physical preparation before the start of the global challenge.
He said that we hope that our team will perform at strong levels and be able to reach advanced positions, in light of the full readiness of our players and the potential and abilities they possess that qualify them to perform honorably against the elite of the world’s teams.
He added that the great Asian achievement achieved by our team by winning the gold medal in the Asian Games held in Japan represents a great moral incentive for the players.