Padel’s first South American Games gold medals went to Paraguay in the men’s event and Argentina in the women’s event. In Rafaela, Santa Fe province, Martín Abud and Facundo Dehnike won the men’s final, while Victoria Milena Vilchez and María Belén Mosca took the women’s title.
The tournament had a special status because padel was included in the official South American Games programme with medals counting toward the standings for the first time. After exhibition matches in Asunción in 2022, the International Padel Federation brought together eight men’s pairs and eight women’s pairs from eight countries.
Abud and Dehnike finish unbeaten and give Paraguay gold
Martín Abud and Facundo Dehnike beat Argentinians Santino Contreras and Ignacio Piotto in straight sets in the men’s final, with the second set decided in a tie-break. Reports published after the match differ on the exact first-set score, but agree that Paraguay won in two sets.
Abud and Dehnike had topped their group before defeating Chile’s Matías Negrete and Daniel Salinas 6-4, 6-2 in the semi-final. Their title comes only a few weeks after Paraguay qualified for the Doha World Championships at the FIP World Cup Qualifiers South America, with both players part of the national squad.
Vilchez and Mosca take the first official women’s title
Victoria Vilchez and María Belén Mosca beat Chile’s Kimberley Ahumada and Catalina Arancibia 6-2, 6-3 in the final. Argentina therefore became the first nation to win the women’s padel title at the South American Games, a result also confirmed in the recap published by the Argentine government.
Vilchez and Mosca won all three group matches before defeating Peru 6-1, 6-1 in the semi-final. After the final, 16-year-old Vilchez summed up what the inaugural medal meant.
“We are privileged to be the pioneers.”
Vilchez’s comment, collected after the final, directly reflects the event’s first official edition. Argentina leaves the women’s draw with gold and Chile with silver, while Paraguay finishes ahead of Argentina in the men’s draw. Abud, Dehnike, Vilchez and Mosca are therefore the first padel champions listed in the official South American Games record.
