Now Reading: India’s top padel star Austin Varghese targets Olympic inclusion
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India’s top padel star Austin Varghese targets Olympic inclusion
Austin Varghese, India's highest-ranked professional padel player, says networking matters more than tournament results in the sport. The 40-year-old scripted history last year by becoming the first Indian to qualify directly into…
Austin Varghese, India's highest-ranked professional padel player, says networking matters more than tournament results in the sport. The 40-year-old scripted history last year by becoming the first Indian to qualify directly into an FIP Bronze main draw in Jakarta.
Varghese trains three gym sessions and three on-court sessions a week, emphasising recovery as he competes against younger players. He says Asia still lacks professional depth, forcing players to change partners frequently. He partnered Peter Potasch at the FIP Silver in Bali.
Varghese hopes padel secures a spot at the 2032 Olympics, but warns India must register every player, rank them from zero, and run a domestic calendar first. He plans to open an academy, having already run clinics in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Calicut and Dubai.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Padel, a racket sport combining tennis and squash, has a global governing body, the International Padel Federation (FIP), which runs a tiered tour system (Bronze, Silver, Gold). India has fewer than 50 FIP-registered players, a fraction of Spain's thousands. For an Indian player to enter a main draw directly, as Varghese did in Jakarta, requires earning enough FIP points through smaller events, then finding a partner with compatible ranking points. The FIP Silver and Bronze tournaments typically offer 26 or 32 pairing slots. The sport's Olympic inclusion depends on a bid to the International Olympic Committee, the 2032 Games host, Brisbane, has not yet confirmed the final sports programme, with a decision expected around 2025, 2026. The immediate measure of Varghese's push is whether he can field a stable partnership across the Asian Tour stops in 2025.
Source: timesnownews.com
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