Nicosia: The decision by the Cyprus Olympic Committee to include Padel in the 20th Mediterranean Games "Taranto 26" marks a historic milestone, as this is the first time the sport will be featured in the event.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Cyprus Olympic Committee announced in a press release that Padel, governed by the Cyprus Tennis Federation, is one of the newest additions to the Cypriot sports community, having already garnered significant international interest.
Demetris Leontis, President of the Cyprus Tennis Federation, expressed his gratitude to the Cyprus Olympic Committee for including Padel in the delegation, emphasizing that, "it is a new sport for Cyprus, although it has been established in Europe and the world for many years." He added, "So far, our experiences in major international competitions involve participation in a European championship. We hope for a good performance."
The Padel delegation features 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 are scheduled to start on the morning of Saturday, August 22, while the Mixed event's first round will take place in the afternoon.
The Cyprus Tennis Federation will also be represented by a total of 11 athletes, marking its largest presence at the Mediterranean Games. The team includes tennis players Menelaos Efstathiou, Eleftherios Neos, Andreas Timini, Ralouka Serban, and Andrea Georgiou Papakyriakou. Previous participations included smaller teams: Latakia 1987 (2), Bari 1997 (2), Tarragona 2018 (4), and Oran 2022 (3).
Sergis Kyratzis, a former tennis champion now competing in Padel, expressed his gratitude to the Cyprus Olympic Committee "for the opportunity given to us," hoping for a favorable draw "to allow us a corresponding good course." He also expressed a wish for Padel, "which is embraced and rapidly developing all over the world, to soon be included in the Olympic programme."