The Spanish Padel Championship that takes place this week in Madrid will not have the best women.

The Association of Professional Players of this sport has decided to boycott it, considering that they have been wronged by

Urban Event

, the company to which the Spanish Paddle Federation (FEP) gave the organization of the event that takes place in the Wizink Center.

Although the distribution of prizes was identical, with 30,000 euros for champion and champion, Urban Event awarded

a fixed 5,000 euros to the most qualified men in order to guarantee their presence in the tournament

.

They, encouraged, will be, but the female competition is decaffeinated.

The conflict has led to

Pedro San Román

, former player and CEO of Urban Event, who after apologizing to the players resigned.

Paddle tennis is also not alien to a problem that tennis experienced for many years, until the equalization of rewards in Grand Slam tournaments and those combined that have a male and female team.

“

We learned everything from behind and we have stood up.

Now we have enough weight to make the decision, even if it makes us very sad

.

You had to make the sacrifice for the sake of women's paddle tennis and raise your voice at some point, "says

Patty Llaguno

, sixth in the world ranking,

in conversation with this newspaper

, and called to be one of the protagonists of the tournament.

Despite becoming a star already in her teens, the player ended up crossing the Atlantic with a tennis scholarship because of the embryonic nature of the sport of the four walls, but she soon recovered her relationship with the shovel.

With more than 10 years of adventure, inequality is also maintained in the professional circuit of the World Padel Tour, the entity that controls the first level competition.

The Federation, on the sidelines

"The complaints of the group of players are limited to an initiative that arose in the field of the organizing company of the Spanish Paddle Championship, Urban Event, aimed at encouraging the participation of certain players through private financial contributions", sources from the FEP state. exempting themselves from responsibility in the conflict.

The FEB rejected the pressure and threats, which, according to this body, were receiving some of the players who did decide to take part in the tournament.

"[...] The disproportionate pressure and intimidating warnings that these players are receiving are required to cease," the federation explained.

"

Conditions have improved and we continue to take very important steps, but men earn three times as much as women in tournament prizes

and the visibility is different because we only play on center court when the rounds progress," Llaguno explains.

The cameras are now pointing at Madrid, but outside our borders these problems are still not understood in a sport that is enjoying greater repercussion throughout the world every day.

“

The differences draw a lot of attention in northern European countries that we visit with the circuit

and in those that are not used to this happening.

They do not understand why there is such discrimination and they ask us about the prizes and the cache, because it is striking, "he reflects.

Despite the fact that the organizing company of the tournament, outside the Spanish Federation, sought the solution to avoid such an image, and the pressure ended with the resignation of the person in charge, it was no longer of any use: «They acknowledged their mistake and wanted to distribute the budget hidden only because we had noticed.

It was no longer the money itself, but the fact itself

, "argues Llaguno.

With the decision firm and backed by the players' own sponsoring brands, the outcome leaves the tournament lacking.

The players bang on the table that they hope is the first step towards the definitive change.

“

We want to be positive because we think it will be a domino effect

.

It is not good news for the sport, but with all of us united in a players' association this no longer has a brake, ”Llaguno concludes hopefully.

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