Key Takeaways
- The men’s gold went to Paraguay after Martin Abud and Facundo Dehnike defeated Argentina’s Santino Contreras and Ignacio Piotto 6-4, 7-6.
- Argentina’s Victoria Milena Vilchez and Maria Belen Mosca secured women’s gold by beating Chile 6-2, 6-3 in the final, completing the tournament without losing a set.
- Martin Abud of Paraguay marked the landmark triumph by saying: “Gold medal! Paraguayan Padel has reached the highest levels in South America. Now let’s enjoy this moment.”
Rafaela crowns historic gold medallists before 4,100 spectators
After staging exhibition matches at Asuncion 2022, padel made its official debut as a medal sport at the XIII South American Games 2026. The 4-day tournament brought together 32 athletes from 8 national teams, with the battle for the podium concluding at the Invencible Stadium in Rafaela, Argentina. Around 4,100 spectators packed the sold-out venue for finals day, marking a milestone occasion for the sport.
Top honours go to Paraguay and Argentina
Paraguay prevented an Argentine clean sweep in the men’s final, where Martin Abud and Facundo Dehnike overcame home representatives Santino Contreras and Ignacio Piotto 6-4, 7-6. Their only lost set of the tournament came during an opening-day qualifying contest against Uruguay’s Artia Malugani and Ensslin Alves. The gold medal extended an outstanding spell for Abud and Dehnike, who secured a place at the Doha World Cup in late August by triumphing at the FIP World Cup Qualifiers South America.
A delighted Abud reflected on the victory afterward: “Gold medal! Paraguayan Padel has reached the highest levels in South America. Now let’s enjoy this moment.”
Argentina gave the home fans a title to celebrate as Victoria Milena Vilchez and Maria Belen Mosca beat Chile’s Catalina Arancibia and Kimberley Ahumada Carrasco 6-2, 6-3 in the women’s final. The champions finished the Games without surrendering a set and allowed their opponents only 15 games across the entire campaign. Arancibia collected silver just weeks after guiding the Chilean national team to Doha World Cup qualification through the South American qualifiers.
Bronze-medal matches complete the podium results
Ecuador earned women’s bronze through Alejandra Alvarez and Marines Holguin Reyes, who defeated Peru’s Nicole Aragones Miro Quesada and Maria Paula Torres Draxl in straight sets. After edging a closely fought first-set tie-break, the Ecuadorian pair dominated the second set 6-1. Uruguay claimed the men’s bronze, with Juan Ignacio Artia Malugani and Higor Ensslin Alves recording a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Chile’s Daniel Salinas Ordenes and Marias Negrete Oliva.
| Event | Medal match | Winning pair | Losing pair | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s Doubles | Gold medal | Martin Abud / Facundo Dehnike (Paraguay) | Santino Contreras / Ignacio Piotto (Argentina) | 6-4, 7-6 |
| Men’s Doubles | Bronze medal | Juan Ignacio Artia Malugani / Higor Ensslin Alves (Uruguay) | Daniel Salinas Ordenes / Marias Negrete Oliva (Chile) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Women’s Doubles | Gold medal | Victoria Milena Vilchez / Maria Belen Mosca (Argentina) | Catalina Arancibia / Kimberley Ahumada Carrasco (Chile) | 6-2, 6-3 |
| Women’s Doubles | Bronze medal | Alejandra Alvarez / Marines Holguin Reyes (Ecuador) | Nicole Aragones Miro Quesada / Maria Paula Torres Draxl (Peru) | 7-6, 6-1 |
Padel broadens its presence at international multi-sport events
The Santa Fe tournament marked further progress in the International Padel Federation’s worldwide strategy. Padel’s integration into multi-sport competition, built around inclusion, social interaction, and the Olympic Charter, gathered pace with its presence at the Mediterranean Games in Taranto. Its 2026 schedule also includes the Asian Games in Nagoya and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh, before the sport features at the 2027 European Games in Istanbul.
