Dubai, January 31, 2023: The UAE Wild Card Championship announces finalists of the UAE Residents Open that took place from January 27 – 29 at Padel Arena in Sharjah, which witnessed the participation of close to 40 advanced padel players who are residents of the UAE. The finalists which include Ignacio Gadea and Martin Noschese, and Jordi Casanova and Javier Rodriguez from the men’s tournament and Angela Caro and Sol Perez, and Iris Murcia and Cristina Navarro from the women’s tournament, will compete at the UAE Wild Card Championship finals that will be held on February 12 at Abu Dhabi Padel Hub, which is located at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. 

 

The UAE Wild Card Championship is sponsored by Emirates Post Group in partnership with the UAE Padel Association and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, offering a unique opportunity for emerging and seasoned padel players in the UAE and GCC to win Wild Card entries to the qualification round of the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Master. The UAE Residents Open was attended by the UAE’s robust padel community and senior executives from the Emirates Post Group, including Abdulla Mohammed Alashram, Group CEO of Emirates Post Group.

 

“Not only am I delighted with our win tonight, but also with the chance to compete in such a significant global event. Considering that this is my first tournament, the experience so far has been incredible. I felt really encouraged and more confident in our game as the crowd cheered on for us. I cannot wait for the next round of the tournament,” said Jordi Casanova, one of the finalists from the men’s tournament.

 

On working her way up to proceed to the finals of the UAE Residents Open women’s tournament, Angela Caro said: “My participation in the World Padel Tour dates back to 2016; but owing to personal obligations, I had decided to retire in 2021. I am grateful and thrilled to play at the UAE Wild Card Championship, as it has given me a second chance to compete on a global platform.”

 

Organised by Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL Events) in collaboration with Match Spot, the Emirates Post Group UAE Wild Card Championship features three category tournaments held across the UAE from January 27 to February 12. These include the UAE Residents Open in Sharjah, UAE Nationals Tournament in Dubai, and GCC Residents Open in Abu Dhabi, with each category hosting a male and female tournament. The Finals for each of the six tournament categories will be played at Abu Dhabi Padel Hub on February 12. More than 180 players have registered to date for the six tournaments, including over 100 men and 70 women. 

 

The UAE Residents Open included the round of 32 on Friday, January 27; round of 16 and quarterfinals on Saturday, January 28; and the semi-finals on Sunday, January 29. The second tournament, open exclusively for UAE Nationals, will kick off from February 3–5 at the World Padel Academy in Dubai, while the championship’s third tournament will bring seasoned padel players from across the GCC countries from February 10 – 11 at Abu Dhabi Padel Hub at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

 

The finals for each of the six tournaments will be held on February 12 at the Abu Dhabi Padel Hub, with each winning team receiving a Wild Card, qualifying them to play against the world’s top-seeded padel players in the Qualification round of the World Padel Tour Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master, taking place from February 18 – 20 at 321 Sports on Hudayriyat Island. This will be followed by the Main Draw of the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master from February 21 – 26 at Bab Al Nojoum on Hudayriyat Island in Abu Dhabi. Each of the six winners will also be awarded AED 10,000 in prize money. 

 

Registrations for the UAE Wild Card Championship UAE Nationals Tournament and GCC Residents Open is still open.