• The First Congress and Fair of Physical Activity and Sports of the Canary Islands, which will take place at Infecar from November 14th to 17th, includes in its program the Challenger Kia of Club El Drago and the playoffs of the 2024 IV Regional Final of the Government of the Canary Islands Cup for youth teams.
• The Canary Islands Padel Federation promotes exhibitions with training sessions by semi-professional players and open-door days within the framework of the great Canary Sports Fair.
• Padel will also be a highlight at this event, which is open to a variety of sports, from football, basketball, handball, volleyball, pickleball, climbing, or archery to fencing, martial arts, and weightlifting, with a large area dedicated to fitness.

ExpoDeca 2024 will also be a grand celebration of padel. This sport will be one of the main attractions at the First Congress and Fair of Physical Activity and Sports of the Canary Islands, taking place from November 14th to 17th at Infecar. The first major sports fair of the Canary Islands will bring together public and private entities, academic institutions and schools, federations and clubs, brands, and companies to promote a major event aimed at the development of the sector. But it will also become a true celebration of sports practice and healthy habits, with free entry for the public and the promotion of various sports, open to audience participation, and featuring high-level exhibitions and tournaments.

At ExpoDeca 2024, sports such as football, handball, volleyball, pickleball, climbing, archery, gymnastics, fencing, and weightlifting will be featured in this format, with a large fitness area dedicated to Sports and Health. Within the program, padel will have a prominent space, with the celebration of the Challenger Kia of Club El Drago, the 2024 IV Canary Islands Cup for youth teams, and exhibitions and open-door sessions to practice this sport, which is highly popular in the island community. These events will even include the support of certified instructors. Registrations to participate will open soon (information available on the official website expodeca.es).

ExpoDeca 2024 is promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands through the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity, and Sports, and organized by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and Infecar Feria de Gran Canaria.

The Challenger Kia of Club El Drago is an event sponsored by the Canary Islands Padel Federation, whose involvement has been crucial in designing the program dedicated to this sport at the fair. Padel courts will be set up outside the Infecar premises, with several days dedicated entirely to promoting this sport, which is widely practised on the islands.

The Challenger Kia of Club El Drago will take place on Thursday, November 14, and Friday, November 15, with a total of four matches (at 4:00 p.m. for the women’s category, and at 5:30 p.m. for the men’s category). On Saturday, November 16, a men’s category match is also scheduled at 7:00 p.m.

On Sunday, November 17, the finals for the women’s and men’s first categories will be held (at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively), with an awards ceremony as a grand finale (at 1:00 p.m.).

The playoffs for the 2024 IV Government of the Canary Islands Cup for youth teams will also have their place in the padel program organized for ExpoDeca 2024. Much of Saturday, November 16, will be dedicated to this competition, with match sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

However, competitions will not be the only expression of padel at ExpoDeca 2024. The Canary Islands Padel Federation has scheduled training sessions for semi-professional players on November 14 and 15 (Thursday and Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.), with the involvement of Manuel Navarro and La Calzada Padel School.

Padel enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the skills of high-level players or, if they prefer, play themselves. This opportunity will be available throughout the four days of the fair. Thus, on Thursday, November 14, and Friday, November 15, open-door sessions have been organized from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with prior booking for groups of four players in 45-minute slots. The afternoon sessions will also include the participation of certified instructors.

On Saturday, November 16, open-door sessions are scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., in the same format and also with the presence of a certified instructor. Finally, on Sunday, November 17, the open-door sessions with prior booking for groups of four players will take place in longer one-hour slots, with an extended schedule from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The impact of padel in the Canary Islands

Padel is a sport that originated in Mexico in the 1960s and reached Spain a decade later. It became truly popular, in addition to establishing itself as a professional sport, starting in the 1980s, and its expansion as an ideal sport for public participation has only grown since then, especially in the Canary Islands, particularly during the 21st century. The fact that it is played in pairs, the proliferation of courts and clubs, and the ease with which basic skills can be acquired make it an activity with a significant social impact.

The Canary Islands Padel Federation was established in 2015, and from that moment on, the expansion of padel in the Islands was solidified, with exponential growth in enthusiasts and players. The Canary Islands have surpassed 4,000 federation licenses, and it is estimated that around 10,000 people play recreationally in the Archipelago.

A clear demonstration of the emerging presence of padel in the Canary Islands occurred in 2023, with the organization by the island Federation of the III Spanish Cup of Regional Leagues, held at the Spin Padel Club in Melenara (Telde, Gran Canaria). A total of 109 teams and 2,000 registered players took part in what was the sporting event with the most participants on the Spanish sports calendar throughout the year. It was an event in which Canary clubs and players also had a notable presence.

ExpoDeca 2024: A fair also for major competitions

In the overall context of the great Canary Sports Fair, ExpoDeca 2024 will host a new edition of the Gran Canaria Crow Challenge, on November 16 and 17: a major fitness and crosstraining event featuring the most outstanding athletes from the Canary Islands, joined by top-level specialists from the rest of Spain and other countries. About two hundred finalists will compete at Infecar during those days, following a preliminary phase with over 500 participants.

The organization of ExpoDeca 2024 continues to work on providing an ambitious program of activities for the entire sports sector in the Canary Islands. Institutions, entities, or companies interested in participating in the event can also complete the process on the event’s official website, expodeca.es.