Mumbai, July 23 -- Once played primarily in Spain and Argentina before rapidly expanding across Europe, the Middle East and beyond, padel is now one of the world's fastest-growingsports.
Its inclusion in the Asian Games marks a defining milestone, not simply because medals will be awarded, but because it signals a shift in how the sport will be viewed, funded and followedacross Asia.
For World Padel League Co-Founder Mahesh Bhupathi, this is the moment padel moves from being an emerging sport to becoming part of the mainstream sporting conversation.
"The medals are important, but they're only one part of the story. What really changes is howa sport is perceived. Once you're part of an event like the Asian Games, governments pay attention...