Asian Games: Japan and Qatar strike padel's first-ever gold medals

Padel's first Asian Games finished on Saturday in Nagoya with two historic winners. Hosts Japan won the women's gold and Qatar won the men's. The finals were played at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center on 3 October, the last day of a tournament that began on 28 September. According to the competition records, 88 players from 13 nations took part.

Tokumoto and Tsukamoto win gold at home

Kae Tokumoto and Saki Tsukamoto gave Japan the first women's padel gold in Asian Games history. They beat Indonesia's Fitriani Sabatini and Fadona Kusumawati 6-3, 6-4. The Japanese pair had looked in control all week. In the semi-finals they beat Indonesia's Novela Putria and Beatrice Gumulya 6-1, 6-3.

After that semi-final, Tokumoto described their style of play: "I hope that everyone who watched us today understood that you cannot win with powerful shots alone." In the final, that patient approach was too much for an Indonesian pair who had beaten the Philippines' Abad and Malazarte 6-0, 6-0 in the other semi-final.

Indonesia still went home with two medals. Putria and Gumulya beat Abad and Malazarte in the bronze-medal match, giving Indonesia silver and bronze in the women's event.

The Naif brothers deliver for Qatar

The men's final was more one-sided. Mashari Naif and Rashed Naif beat Malaysia's Christian Didier Chin and Aidan Khairuddin Yunus 6-3, 6-1. The brothers did not drop a set all tournament. According to Qatar Living, they beat Kuwait in the round of 16 and the UAE in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals they beat Iran's Hami Golestan and Arya Roghani 6-4, 6-2.

Before the final, Rashed had been clear about who he thought was the best player in the event. "We are one step away from the gold medal. I completely trust my brother: he is definitely the best player in Asia," he told the FIP. After the win, Mashari said the gold felt "almost unreal" and called it "just the beginning" for padel in the region.

The OCA President, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, presented the medals. FIP President Luigi Carraro and Japan Padel Association President Koji Nakatsuka were also at the ceremony. Qatar's state news agency QNA highlighted the result as the country's first padel gold at the Games. Qatar Living reported that it took Qatar's medal count in Nagoya to 16: five gold, six silver and five bronze.

Malaysia's run and an all-Iranian bronze match

Malaysia's silver came after one of the comebacks of the week. Chin and Yunus lost the first set 1-6 to Iran's Farsad Shahi and Amirmohammad Jamshidi in the semi-finals, then won 6-4, 6-1. "All of this is incredible. Now that we are in the final, we will enjoy the moment," Chin said afterwards.

Iran had two pairs in the semi-finals, so the men's bronze-medal match was an all-Iranian one. Jamshidi and Shahi beat Golestan and Roghani 6-3, 6-4.

Why it matters

Padel's debut at a multi-sport event of this size is an important step for the FIP's push for wider recognition. The medals went to five countries: Japan, Qatar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran. None of them is a traditional padel power, which shows how far the game has spread beyond Spain and Argentina. For Mashari Naif, the gold medal is, in his own words, "just the beginning".