Dubai Sports City is set to host the master final of the Inclusive Padel Tour (IPT) this weekend, providing a platform for athletes with disabilities to engage competitively in the sport of padel. The event, making its debut in the UAE, will feature 20 athletes of determination alongside 20 able-bodied athletes from around the world at Inspiratus Sports Direct (ISD) Padel in Dubai’s Sports City on November 18.
The Inclusive Padel Tour, conceived by Italian Alessandro Ossola, aims to make padel an inclusive sport globally. Ossola, a paralympic athlete of the Italian National Athletics Team, lost his left leg in a bike accident in 2015. The IPT, which began in 2021, introduces a unique format that adds only one rebound for players with disabilities, making padel an inclusive sport of the future.
The event is not only a showcase of competitive padel but also a celebration of diversity and inclusion. Participants come from various countries, including Italy, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, and more. As part of the initiative, international padel athletes will conduct a clinic with the children of Heroes of Hope, a UAE-based non-profit organization for people of determination.
Diego Neves de Almeida, the manager of ISD Padel, highlighted the collaboration’s significance in promoting inclusion and diversity in the world of sports. The Inclusive Padel Tour is a testament to the vision of a more inclusive future for athletes of all abilities.
