The Philippine national padel team is stepping up its preparations for what promises to be a historic moment for the rapidly growing sport in the country, with the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, now just over a month away.
The Asian Games are scheduled to take place from September 19 to October 4, with Team Philippines preparing across several sporting disciplines as the country gets ready for one of Asia’s biggest multi-sport events.
Among the sports making their debut on the continental stage is padel, with the Philippine delegation determined to make an immediate impression against the best players in Asia.
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Team captain Argil Lance Canizares is leading the national squad alongside Jason Anthony Tamayo Lapidus, Tao Yee Tan and Marian Jade Capadocia, with the four athletes currently in Madrid, Spain, undergoing an intensive training camp ahead of their historic Asian Games campaign.
The training stint in Spain is expected to provide the Filipino players with valuable exposure to a country where padel has developed into one of the world’s most popular and competitive padel markets.
With the Asian Games providing an entirely new level of competition, the Philippine team is using every available opportunity to sharpen its skills, improve its chemistry and familiarize itself with the demands of international competition.
The squad will enter the Asian Games with considerable confidence after producing an impressive showing at the Asia Pacific Padel Cup (APPC) 2026 in June.
Team Philippines won back-to-back professional division titles at the APPC, which was held at Play Padel McKinley West in Taguig City, giving the national team an important boost heading into its biggest international test yet.
The strong performance also provided an indication of the progress being made by Philippine padel and the growing depth of talent available to the national program.
For Padel Pilipinas president Jeff Cheng, the Asian Games represents a significant milestone not only for the national team but also for the sport’s development in the Philippines.
Mr. Jeff Cheng is now president of Padel Philippines.
Asia Pacific Padel Cup being held in Play Padel McKinley from tomorrow until Sunday! pic.twitter.com/MoM5f1x2nr
— Ryan Fenix
(@RyanFenix) June 25, 2026
“The Asian Games represents a historic opportunity for padel in the Philippines. The inclusion of padel on this stage reflects the sport’s rapid growth across Asia, and we are committed to ensuring that our athletes are ready to compete against the continent’s best,” Cheng said in a media interaction.
“We hope to showcase not only the talent of our players, but also the progress the Philippines has made in developing the sport.”
The Asian Games appearance is expected to provide the Philippines with an opportunity to measure its progress against established padel nations while exposing its players to a much wider international field.
The national team will also hope to use the experience to further raise the profile of the sport back home and inspire more Filipinos to take up the rapidly expanding racket sport.
Padel Pilipinas secretary general Atty. Duane Santos likewise highlighted the importance of the team’s recent success at the APPC, saying the experience will serve as an important foundation for the challenges ahead.
“We are proud of what was accomplished at APPC 2026, and now our work continues,” Santos said.
“The experience gained here will be invaluable as we prepare for the challenges ahead and continue striving to raise the level of padel in the Philippines.”
The recent APPC triumphs have given the national team momentum, but the Asian Games will present a considerably tougher challenge.
Competing against the continent’s leading padel players will test the Filipinos’ ability to perform under pressure and adapt to a higher level of competition.
For Canizares, Lapidus, Tan and Capadocia, the training camp in Madrid represents an important part of that preparation.
The Philippines will be making its debut in padel at the Asian Games, making the upcoming competition an opportunity to establish a foundation for the sport’s future participation in major international events.
Beyond the results, the national team will be looking to showcase the rapid development of Philippine padel and demonstrate that the country can compete on the continental stage.
With its recent success at the APPC, an intensive overseas training program and months of preparation behind it, Team Philippines heads to Nagoya with growing confidence.
The next step is to translate that progress onto the Asian Games court and make the country’s historic padel debut one to remember.
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