A victory with a special dedication to someone who is passed away. Paquito Navarro is playing the Milano Premier Padel P1 with the surname ‘Compan’ on his jersey: it’s that of his mother Maria Victoria, who passed away a few days ago. “Since last Thursday there is one more star in the sky that supports and accompanies me in every moment, my most special star – Paquito’s words on his social profiles -. I will always remember you, every day. I love you”. And in memory of his mother, Paquito – paired with Pablo Cardona – advanced to the round of 16 at the Allianz Cloud, beating Sanyo Gutierrez and José Diestro 6-2 6-4: a victory that is worth access to the quarters – where it will be Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia or Maxi Sanchez and Lucho Capra, on court later in the evening – and, for Cardona, a step towards the Premier Padel Finals in Barcelona, as Gutierrez’s defeat excludes Sanyo from the race for one of the last two places still up for grabs in the FIP Race.
“It has been a tough week – said Paquito, who withdrew from the Acapulco Major for personal reasons related to his mother’s passing –. To be honest, I thought about not coming to Milano, but my mother would not have wanted that. She would have wanted me to come here to give my all and help my partner qualify for the Finals. I want her to be proud of me, wherever she is”.
There are those who with their shirt remember a person who has passed away and then there are those who, through their ‘camiseta’ give happiness to a child. The protagonist of this was Juan Lebron who, after winning the match against Daniel Santigosa and Miguel Lamperti, on his way to the bench noticed that in the stands of the Allianz Cloud a child was raising a card in the air with the words: “Today is my birthday: can I have your shirt?” Lobo brought him onto the pitch and handed him the precious shirt, giving him an unforgettable day.
But that’s not all, because the Milano Premier Padel, together with Subito – Italy’s leading platform for sustainable buying and selling and an Official Sponsor of the tournament – has put several memorabilia from the champions up for sale. The initiative features contributions from Arturo Coello, Agustin Tapia, Ale Galan, Fernando Belasteguin, Ari Sanchez, Paula Josemaria, Gemma Triay, Claudia Fernandez, and many others. Fans can already purchase autographed rackets from Delfi Brea, Ale Galan, Paquito Navarro, and Paula Josemaria on Subito.it, while others will be available in the coming days. The proceeds from all sales will be donated to Fondazione Laureus Sport for Good Italia ETS, the non-profit organization in Italy that promotes positive social change through sports. It fosters social integration and cohesion by offering free, high-impact educational sports activities for boys and girls from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds.