Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Padel Association, speaks during a ceremony at Emirates Tower.

The International Padel Federation’s flagship biennial championship is being hosted by Dubai under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, and hosted by the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA) in association with the Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism (DET).

Some thrilling clashes are expected on the second day in different groups as international teams ranked in the top ten lists in the world in the men's and women's categories, including Spain, Argentina, Brazil, France, Italy, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Belgium, and Germany, will square off.

Britain, Poland, Mexico, and others who are ranked in the top 20 will also be in action.

On the opening day on Monday, the UAE’s national men's team played their debut match against Brazil, while the women's team faced Paraguay.

Meanwhile, the organizing committee organized a gala dinner amidst the glittering ceremony to mark the launch of the 16th edition of the World Championship, named as the DP World Padel Championship, which was graced by Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Padel Association and attended by Luigi Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation, members of the organizing committee and a number of coaches and players.

The wonderful ceremony was held in a picturesque setting—to the sounds of Emirati traditional songs and dance—in the courtyard of Emirates Towers Hotel overlooking the Museum of the Future, which is distinguished by its distinctive oval shape and reflects its goals of hosting the most recent advancements in technological and architectural design. It also embodies the beauty of the Arabic scripts that were inscribed on it.

The guests made their way to the dinner party in the shape of an official parade with posh cars from the Dubai Police, which is a reflection of the elegance of the excellent organization and warmth of the UAE hospitality.

In his welcome speech, Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum wished the teams competing in the competition luck and stressed that the organizing committee aims to provide the best facilities and highest standards of organization to ensure DP World Padel Championship 2022 stands out as an exceptional and well-established event.

Carraro, President of the International Padel Federation, said: "We are starting in the best way possible as you are in a magnificent place. I think the job done by the UAE Padel Association is really unbelievable. In 45 days, they completed all the arrangements for a world-class event like this. It seems like a miracle.

"I would like to thank everybody, the organizing committee and entities involved in ensuring the facilities are in the best shape.

"I have no doubt that the players and spectators will enjoy themselves at the DP World Padel Championship.

"Over the last few years, padel tennis has surged in popularity among men and women across all age groups. It is established as one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

While hailing Dubai’s role in the spread and promotion of the game, the IPC President said, "Padel is also growing a lot here in Dubai, and the World Championship will definitely have an impact and accelerate the momentum."

Expressing her pride in participating in the World Championship for the first time in her career in the UAE, Nouf Omar, a player for the UAE’s women's national team, said our team is in a difficult group, but the goal is to gain more experience and compete alongside top international teams.

Spain's Garza Salareza said the week would be full of strong and exciting encounters in Dubai. "Our country is on top of the world rankings in both women's and men's categories and are the champions of the last edition, so we have come here to retain the title and maintain our supremacy."