On Friday, 5 December 2025, the suburban Equides Club facility hosted a friendly padel tennis competition. Padel is an innovative sports variety which is only starting to gain popularity in Ukraine. The event was organized by the Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions.
Padel is a dynamic and accessible sport that combines elements of traditional tennis and squash, creating a unique game played on a compact, enclosed court measuring approximately 20×10 metres, enclosed by glass or mesh walls from which players can bounce the ball. Padel uses stringless rackets with a solid perforated surface and light balls similar to tennis balls, but softer and slightly smaller. The game typically involves two teams of two players, utilising a tennis-style scoring system and serve. However, the use of walls makes each rally fast-paced, unpredictable, and therefore exciting. Padel matches are a real spectacle, combining tactical thinking, teamwork, quick reactions, and improvisation.
The sporting event was attended by the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Albania, Argentina, China, Mexico, Montenegro, Pakistan, Palestine, and the United Kingdom, as well as staff members from the Embassies of these countries. Representatives from the Embassies of Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and Slovakia also attended.
GDIP Director-General Pavlo Kryvonos delivered a welcome address to the guests. He stressed the importance of organizing such events and said that since padel is only starting to become popular in Ukraine, a game between teams of distinguished diplomats was a brilliant opportunity to boost the position of this sport, which not only enhances the body and the spirit, but also unites people, in this case bringing together representatives of many countries.
The friendly competition featured teams comprising ambassadors from Mexico and Pakistan, as well as employees of the diplomatic missions of Georgia, Kazakhstan, India, Montenegro, Palestine, Qatar, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom, along with employees of the GDIP, who ultimately won the tournament.
Padel has become popular worldwide because anyone can quickly master its rules and movements. The team format and high dynamics have a positive effect on health, as they develop endurance, coordination, and reaction, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and provide minimal stress on the joints. That is why it is increasingly recommended as an effective fitness alternative and stress reliever, bringing people together in a friendly atmosphere. Padel is not just a game with a racket, but an exciting sports culture in which everyone finds movement, emotions and their own community.
