Dubai: The third edition of the Dubai Open Padel Academies Tournament (DOPA) for the 2025-’26 sports season concluded with the certain promise of future champions.

Organised by the Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with the UAE Tennis and Padel Association and World Padel Academy, the tournament was held at the headquarters of the World Padel Academy in Dubai.

The championship witnessed extensive participation, featuring 29 youth teams with a total of 58 players representing eleven sports academies from across the UAE.

Competitors vied for top honors in the Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 categories, showcasing exceptional technical skills and outstanding sportsmanship that went on to underscore a bright future for the sport in the country.

Champions of the future

The combination of Kirill Gorokhov and Heerad Hemat went on to clinch the top spot in the Under-16 category leaving Sebastian Hardwick and Spencer Barnsley as the runners-up.

In the Under-14 category, Heerad Hemat completed a fine double as he teamed up with Yasser Kanaan to claim the top spot ahead of Adam Hammoud and Arseniy Soloviev.

And in the Under-12 category, the honours went to Matias Esquivel and Lev Molyboga, while Fares Ali and Gievano Lyon had to stay content with the runners-up spot.

Development of padel

Saeed Al Marri, Secretary-General of the UAE Tennis and Padel Association, was thrilled at the development being witnessed by the sport in the UAE over such a short span of time.

“The continuous success of the Dubai Open Padel Academies Tournament reflects the growing interest and immense potential possessed by youth padel players in the UAE. Through our ongoing partnership with the Dubai Sports Council and World Padel Academy, we remain committed to providing young athletes with opportunities to develop their skills and compete at the highest standards, thereby building a strong and sustainable future for this sport,” Al Marri remarked.

Commitment to a cause

Ahmed Salem Al Mahri, Director of the Sports Talent Department at Dubai Sports Council, was focused on the future. “The sustained success of the Dubai Open Padel Academies Tournament embodies the Dubai Sports Council’s steadfast commitment to discovering and developing young talent, aligned with the objectives and pillars of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033. The tournament aims to provide a professional competitive environment that hones their technical and physical capabilities. We are keen to strengthen our strategic partnerships with sports federations and academies to build an integrated ecosystem that ensures the sustainable development of talent and qualifies them to reach levels of sporting excellence, in line with the ambitious vision for sports in Dubai, and in the UAE,” he noted.

Ali Al Arif, CEO of World Padel Academy, remained committed to continuing the growth of padel in the UAE. “The Dubai Open Padel Academies Tournament transcends being merely a sporting event. It is truly a platform that inspires youth players to challenge themselves, learn and grow in the sport. We are proud to conclude yet another successful edition that showcased exceptional talent and high sportsmanship, through which we continue to enhance the pathway for the next generation of padel players in the country,” Al Arif said.

Talent discovery and strategic objectives

The third edition highlighted an elite group of promising sports talents discovered through the active partnership between the Dubai Sports Council, sports academies and schools in the emirate.

Players were monitored and classified according to their technical levels to support their transition into professional pathways, in line with the goals of the Dubai Sports Sector Strategic Plan 2033 to build a new generation capable of competing globally.

Targeting the future

The technical committee identified prominent breakthrough talent across various categories, including Maktoum Ahmed and Rashid Al Attar of the NAS Sports Academy and Tommaso Gabbiadini and Leonardo Rocca from Robur Academy in the U-12 category.

Mahit Babari and Armin Majidi (Robur Academy), Raphael Hag (International French School Georges Pompidou), Zidan Zaman (iAcademy), Majid Al Marzouqi and Farnam Kian (NAS Sports Academy) have made the grade in the U-14 category.

In the U-16 category, Arseniy Soloviev (Al Itqan American School), Samyar Mostafavi (The Loop Academy), Hamdan Ahmed (NAS Sports Academy) and Rashid Al Dallal (Bahrain Padel Academy) made the cut.

This edition continues the consecutive successes achieved in the previous two, while solidifying the tournament as one of the premier sports competitions dedicated to youth padel in the UAE. It reflects the rapid growth and rising popularity of the sport among youth and juniors across the nation.

Supported and sponsored by Babolat, the tournament reinforces Dubai’s status as a leading regional hub for nurturing young athletes, achieving sporting excellence and inspiring future champions to practice the game at the highest levels.