World Paddle Tennis Championships: Final Photo Report

The 2008 World Paddle Tennis Championships have been a pleasure to cover as players from all over the world introduced Canada to this unique, fast-paced and intriguing sport, one which most Canadians have never heard of.
World Paddle Tennis Championships: Final Photo Report
Gustavo “Gata” Briner and his teammate Damien Diez from Argentina with their second place Inukshuk-shaped trophies. Gustavo was kind enough to do an interview with us almost every day of the championship. Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times
Updated:
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6423_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6423_medium.jpg" alt="Spain's David Losada and Juan Jose Mieres, world champions in both the Men's Open and the Men's Match Play event, ousting defending champions Argentina. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="Spain's David Losada and Juan Jose Mieres, world champions in both the Men's Open and the Men's Match Play event, ousting defending champions Argentina. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137822"/></a>
Spain's David Losada and Juan Jose Mieres, world champions in both the Men's Open and the Men's Match Play event, ousting defending champions Argentina. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

CALGARY—The 2008 World Paddle Tennis Championships have been a pleasure to cover as players from all over the world introduced Canada to this unique, fast-paced and intriguing sport, one which most Canadians have never heard of.

The players certainly brought their Latin hospitality, and their (very loud) enthusiasm to Calgary for the event, which means significantly more to them than it does to North Americans. In Latin America, paddle tennis is played by millions of people and is therefore a significant matter of national pride and honor.

As Spain’s David Losada said in an interview with The Epoch Times, back home the World Championship in this sport is “the biggest thing.”

Throughout the championship, players and organizers were routinely heard expressing the sincere hope that the sport would catch on overseas and grow in popularity.

For them it is a passion, something they really work hard at and put their heart into, and it shows in the way they carry themselves and the enthusiasm with which they play.

For the spectator, paddle tennis is fast-paced and exciting to watch. To find out more about the sport go to: http://www.usapadel.com or http://www.paddlecanada.net

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6243_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6243_medium.jpg" alt="A paddle tennis court, surrounded by glass on the back and the deeper sides, and wire mesh on the more shallow sides, taken during the finals of the Women's Match Play Event. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="A paddle tennis court, surrounded by glass on the back and the deeper sides, and wire mesh on the more shallow sides, taken during the finals of the Women's Match Play Event. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137823"/></a>
A paddle tennis court, surrounded by glass on the back and the deeper sides, and wire mesh on the more shallow sides, taken during the finals of the Women's Match Play Event. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/4702_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/4702_medium.jpg" alt="Argentina's Damien Diez makes a remarkable backhand return mid-court during their semi-final match in the team's event earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="Argentina's Damien Diez makes a remarkable backhand return mid-court during their semi-final match in the team's event earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137824"/></a>
Argentina's Damien Diez makes a remarkable backhand return mid-court during their semi-final match in the team's event earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/5275_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/5275_medium.jpg" alt="Members of the Chilean women's team watch with great interest during their match against Canada. The Chileans won the match 2-1 in the round robin phase, but the Canadian women defeated them in their rematch of the bracket 2 finals and finished fifth be (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="Members of the Chilean women's team watch with great interest during their match against Canada. The Chileans won the match 2-1 in the round robin phase, but the Canadian women defeated them in their rematch of the bracket 2 finals and finished fifth be (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137825"/></a>
Members of the Chilean women's team watch with great interest during their match against Canada. The Chileans won the match 2-1 in the round robin phase, but the Canadian women defeated them in their rematch of the bracket 2 finals and finished fifth be (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/3762_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/3762_medium.jpg" alt="A couple of youngsters play with the Canadian flag earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times )" title="A couple of youngsters play with the Canadian flag earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times )" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137826"/></a>
A couple of youngsters play with the Canadian flag earlier in the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times )

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6176_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6176_medium.jpg" alt="A member of one of the event's sponsors video tapes the finals. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="A member of one of the event's sponsors video tapes the finals. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137827"/></a>
A member of one of the event's sponsors video tapes the finals. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/5170_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/5170_medium.jpg" alt="The boys from Royal Catering pose outside the Calgary West Soccer Center with their truck. A family business consisting of a father and his three sons, they provided excellent food throughout the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="The boys from Royal Catering pose outside the Calgary West Soccer Center with their truck. A family business consisting of a father and his three sons, they provided excellent food throughout the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137828"/></a>
The boys from Royal Catering pose outside the Calgary West Soccer Center with their truck. A family business consisting of a father and his three sons, they provided excellent food throughout the week. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6395_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6395_medium.jpg" alt="Hannah, a volunteer at the event and this writer's extremely helpful Spanish-English translator. Without her, getting interviews with teams from non-English speaking countries would have been close to impossible. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="Hannah, a volunteer at the event and this writer's extremely helpful Spanish-English translator. Without her, getting interviews with teams from non-English speaking countries would have been close to impossible. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137829"/></a>
Hannah, a volunteer at the event and this writer's extremely helpful Spanish-English translator. Without her, getting interviews with teams from non-English speaking countries would have been close to impossible. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6255_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6255_medium.jpg" alt="A big thanks to Bill and Sonja, the event's media relations team who were always more than happy to help Epoch Times reporters with whatever we needed. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" title="A big thanks to Bill and Sonja, the event's media relations team who were always more than happy to help Epoch Times reporters with whatever we needed. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137830"/></a>
A big thanks to Bill and Sonja, the event's media relations team who were always more than happy to help Epoch Times reporters with whatever we needed. (Neil Campbell/The Epoch Times)

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6436_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/6436_medium.jpg" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-137831"/></a>