The Cyprus Olympic Committee’s decision to include padel in the 20th Mediterranean Games “Taranto 26” is of historical significance, as this is the first time the sport will feature in the event.
In a press release, the Cyprus Olympic Committee said that padel, which falls under the auspices of the Cyprus Tennis Federation, is one of the newest sports in the Cypriot sports family, having already gained significant international appeal.
Demetris Leontis, President of the Cyprus Tennis Federation, thanked the Cyprus Olympic Committee for including padel in the delegation, pointing out that “it is a new sport for Cyprus, although it has been established in Europe and the world for many years.”
“So far, our experience in major international competitions has involved participation in a European championship. We hope for a good performance,” he added.
The padel delegation consists of six athletes: Sergis Kyratzis, Christopher Koutrouzas, Petros Chrysochos, Giovana Knezevic, Maria Siopacha and Lena Savva. Cyprus will compete with one men’s team, one women’s team and one mixed team. The men’s and women’s matches will begin on the morning of Saturday, August 22, while the first round of the mixed event will take place in the afternoon.
The Cyprus Tennis Federation is participating with a total of 11 athletes, its largest-ever representation at the Mediterranean Games. The team is completed by tennis players Menelaos Efstathiou, Eleftherios Neos, Andreas Timini, Ralouka Serban and Andrea Georgiou Papakyriakou. Previous tennis participations were: Latakia 1987 (2), Bari 1997 (2), Tarragona 2018 (4) and Oran 2022 (3).
Former tennis champion and current padel athlete Sergis Kyratzis thanked the Cyprus Olympic Committee “for the opportunity given to us”, expressing hope for a favourable draw “to allow us a corresponding good run.”
He also said he hoped that padel, “which is embraced and rapidly developing all over the world, will soon be included in the Olympic programme.”
