Padel has moved from a trial run to a main event at the 59th Companies Championship in Port Said. Forty players took part in the first official padel competition under the Union of Companies, marking a clear step forward for the tournament, which now includes both traditional sports and artistic contests.
Organisers, led by Mohamed Osman Haroun and overseen by Ismail Abdel Hakim, responded to the sport's rapid growth in Egypt by giving padel full competitive status. Last year, it was only a promotional activity. Now, its inclusion reflects both player interest and the Union's aim to update the championship. According to بوابة الأهرام, the event is in its second week, with organisers discussing further expansion and the possibility of moving some competitions to other cities along the Suez Canal.
At one stage of the 59th Companies Championship in Port Said, around 126 companies from various sectors participated in team competitions, highlighting the scale of this corporate sports event.
بوابة الأهرام
"Padel is booming everywhere in Egypt. It was essential to make it part of the official schedule," said Mohamed Hosni Ghandour, the competition supervisor. The decision has already drawn forty participants of different skill levels to the first contest. Haroun expects next year's numbers to surpass even futsal, which has long been a favourite. The championship has also shifted from a local to an intercity format, with Port Said hosting the main programme and some sports now held in Ismailia, Suez, and Alexandria, as reported by بوابة الأهرام.
The championship now reaches beyond Port Said. Billiards events are in Suez, football in Ismailia, and other competitions in Alexandria, using the best facilities in each city. This approach allows more athletes to take part and ensures each sport is played in suitable conditions. Mohamed Osman Haroun, president of the Egyptian Union of Sports Companies, thanked the governors of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez for their support, and said the Union is considering a winter mini-tournament in Aswan to keep corporate sports active year-round.
Alongside padel, the championship includes beach football, futsal, squash, taekwondo, athletics, shooting, and arts competitions such as painting and music. The organisers' willingness to adapt has turned the event into a showcase for both athletic and creative talent in Egypt's corporate sector.
In addition to the sports competitions, the Union of Companies is running an educational programme titled 'Artificial Intelligence in the Service of Sport' in Port Said from September 3 to 5, 2026, as part of the 59th championship. This initiative demonstrates the organisers' commitment to developing the event as both a tournament and an educational platform.
الدستور/El Captain
By adding new sports like padel and spreading events across several cities, the Companies Championship is opening up to more participants and new trends. The Union's leadership has shown that innovation and attention to what players want are now central to the future of corporate sport in Egypt.
