Dear athletes, coaches and delegates from the European Deaf sports world,

The Belgian Deaf sport Committee, with its two language branches, the Ligue Sportive Francophone des Sourds and Dovensport Vlaanderen, together with the EC Deaf Padel 2026 Organizing Committee, is delighted to take on the great challenge of organizing this 2nd European Deaf Padel Championship. This event will give athletes a wonderful opportunity to participate in a major competition which they have been looking forward to with great dedication, hard training, and pride in representing their country.

I am certain that you will participate with joy and enthusiasm, regardless of victories or defeats, in the true spirit of sportsmanship.

The Organizing Committee (OC) faces significant challenges in organizing this event within the current Belgian sports landscape, with limited government support. However, with great conviction, the OC, under the expert leadership of Lieven Kind, Kurt Van Dam, David Grammenidis, and David Dessaint, is determined to organize this major event, thanks to the many volunteers who are willing to help selflessly to ensure the success of this European Championship.

It is also with pride that we look back on August 12–14, 2022, in Mechelen, when our federation, together with the organizing club SVGT Mechelen, put padel on the European map by organizing the Europacup Padel, which led to the creation of this European Championship.

I hope that the 2026 edition will showcase the highly competitive level of deaf athletes, with performances that demonstrate their exceptional quality.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who supports this event, both big and small, as well as the directors of the Belgian Deaf Sport Committee for their moral support, the federal branches for their efforts in supporting the event, and the OC members who, at such a delicate moment, took on the challenge of keeping the sport going.

The President of the Belgian Deaf sport Committee,

Jan Van den Braembussche