Japan Edges Lebanon in a Tense Opener on Padel's Asian Games Debut

Japan's Ando Teruaki and Nakamura Shinnosuke opened padel's Asian Games debut with a win, beating a Lebanese pair in a tense first round match at the Higashi Sports Center in Nagoya on Monday.

A tight opener at home

The hosts needed every point to get past their opponents. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun described the match as closely fought from the first point to the last, and Jiji Press separately reported the same result: a home win that sent Ando and Nakamura through to the second round. Padel FIP, which covers the sport's international events, also confirmed the pair advanced after a hard fought battle on day one of the competition.

Padel's Olympic push

Padel is making its first appearance at the Asian Games this week, part of a broader push by the International Padel Federation to land a spot on a future Olympic program. Nagoya's crowd got an introduction to the sport's signature elements: smashes off the back glass, angled volleys played off the surrounding mesh, and rallies that reward patience as much as raw power. Local reports said fans in the stands reacted loudly to the trick shots, calling out in appreciation during the longer exchanges, a sign the sport found an audience on its first day in Japan.

What is next

Ando and Nakamura move on to face a new opponent in the second round, with play continuing at the Higashi Sports Center through the rest of the week. The Asian Games padel competition runs through October 3, with Japan, the Philippines, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong all winning their opening matches on day one.