Aspetar signs MOU with International Padel Federation and Premier Padel
Doha, Qatar – Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the International Padel Federation (FIP) and Premier Padel, the leading official professional padel tour worldwide to conduct a series of research initiatives aimed at enhancing player safety and performance in professional padel.
The collaboration will focus on the following key areas:
Injury and illness observation: This will focus on injury patterns, common health concerns, and assess potential gender-related differences in injury rates across both the Premier Padel and FIP CUPRA Tour's
Measuring and quantifying physiological demands of professional padel: Leading efforts to analyse the physiological demands of professional players by using state of the art and non-intrusive technology.
Comparative insights of professional padel vs other racket sports: Partnership will include a study which evaluates the competitive demands of professional padel in comparison to other racket sports including tennis, badminton and squash.
Khalid Ali Al Mawalawi, Aspetar acting Director General, stated: 'We are pleased to announce this important partnership with the International Padel Federation and Premier Padel, which comes within the framework of Aspetar's keenness to provide a healthy and safe environment for athletes and padel enthusiasts, a sport that is gaining increasing popularity around the world."
He added: "Player safety is paramount at Aspetar, and we always strive to provide the best medical and treatment services to help them compete to their fullest potential."
Luigi Carraro, President, International Padel Federation and Vice Chairman, Premier Padel commented: 'We are committed to the safety and well-being of all athletes competing at the highest level of our professional sport. Investing in research on injury prevention is not just a responsibility—it is a necessity to ensure the future of our sport remains safe, competitive, and sustainable.'
David Serrahima, General Manager, Premier Padel commented: 'The players are at the centre of our professional tour, and we are continuously looking at ways to support player well-being and performance. This partnership – focused on research from world leading sports scientists – will provide deeper insights into the physical requirements of professional padel players and help to improve strategies for managing player workloads during the season.'
About Aspetar
Aspetar is a world-leading specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital and the first of its kind in the Middle East. Since 2007, with a world expert team, the hospital has provided top-level comprehensive medical treatment to all athletes in a state-of-the-art facility that sets new standards internationally. In 2009, Aspetar was accredited as a 'FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence' by F-MARC. In 2013, Aspetar was adopted as a reference collaborator centre by the Gulf Countries Council (GCC) Health Ministers Council and 'The IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health' in 2014. In 2015, Aspetar has been recognised as the 'IHF Reference Centre for Athlete and Referee Health'. In the same year, the hospital also achieved obtained-on December 15 the Accreditation Canada International (ACI) 'Platinum Level'. Aspetar is a member–organisation of Aspire Zone Foundation, Qatar's innovative sports and healthy lifestyle destination.
About International Padel Federation
The International Padel Federation (FIP) is the world governing body of Padel, whose mission is to: Foster the growth and development of Padel at all levels and ages, from grassroots to professional; Govern the sport by affiliating national member federations and regional associations. It now counts with 81 affiliated National Federations from all five continents; Make Padel become an Olympic sport and be part of the Olympic Games, the highest honour for any sport. FIP manages an international calendar comprising its two circuits (Premier Padel & Cupra FIP Tour), as well as its team competitions (World Championships and continental events) for young and senior players. Starting from January 2024, FIP also governs a single official unified international ranking for professional male and female players, counting the tournament points achieved in its two circuits: Premier Padel and Cupra FIP Tour.
About Premier Padel
Premier Padel is the leading official professional padel tour worldwide, founded by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) together with the International Padel Federation (FIP) and the Professional Padel Association (PPA). Launched in 2022, backed by the Professional Padel Association (PPA), over 500 players from around the world competed in Premier Padel tournaments in its first year and played in some of the most iconic venues in sports history, including at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris. Over 110 leading professional female players joined Premier Padel in March 2023 through the International Padel Players Association (IPPA). In August 2023, it was announced that QSI would acquire World Padel Tour (WPT) to create a single global professional padel tour – called Premier Padel – governed by FIP. From 2025, Premier Padel includes 24 tournaments in 16 countries as the tour continues to grow the sport in new territories and in every dimension. As a global brand, Premier Padel also captures the dynamic essence and spirit of padel, with the sport embarking on an exciting new dawn on a global scale driven by the new unified global tour.
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