At Tournated, we see how local sports projects grow when structure meets the right tools.
A great example is the padel league in Latvia , launched last year by Viesturs and Alexander. In under a year, it evolved from friendly mixed games into:

• Regular mixed tournaments

• A structured men’s & women’s league (8 stages + final)

• A growing community attractive to sponsors and clubs

By running everything on Tournated, organizers reduced admin work, gave teams flexibility, and focused on visibility and partnerships.
Following this link you can check the available tournaments by these organizers: https://play.tournated.com/league/728

And below is our interview with them, enjoy.

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How did your mix tournament format originally come about?

It all started with matches we played ourselves - “family vs. family”: husbands against wives. The husbands got tired quickly, and the women started playing against each other. More competitive women wanted challenging matches and asked us to organize games with men. Gradually, we formed a list of men ready to play in mixed matches, and we decided to try a tournament.

It was successful from the start and attracted sponsors immediately. In one tournament, we got as many prizes as some clubs don’t receive in six months. That’s how it all began.

Later, there were requests to create a women’s league. We thought, if we’re doing a women’s league, we should do a men’s league as well. We wrote the rules according to international standards and launched it.

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How is the tournament structured?

Based on surveys, we divide teams by skill level: bronze, silver, and gold divisions. Each group has 5 teams, and they play 4 matches over 4 weeks. Teams arrange their matches, dates, and venues themselves, then submit results to us. After the group stage, there’s a final - either top 4 or top 8, depending on the number of teams.

The principle is simple: arrange the match, play, and submit results.
This format works well for teams who often play friendly matches - you don’t need to look for opponents yourself. Everything is already structured.

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How does your padel league stand out from others?

Conceptually, it’s similar to other leagues, but we studied existing leagues and tried to take the best parts. For example, we minimized group sizes. In the future, we plan to allow teams to book courts for league games through us, making it easier for participants.

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How often do your tournaments take place?

In 2026, mix tournaments will be held twice a month due to high demand, totaling around 24 tournaments a year. The men’s and women’s league will have 8 stages per year, plus a ninth stage gathering the top 16 teams at the end of the year.

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How do you find sponsors and promote tournaments?

We are very active on social media, posting content from tournaments and games. Recently, we hired a specialist to further improve our online presence. I also have experience in online marketing, so I understand how important this is today.

We showcase all sponsors, both at events and online. We have ongoing partnerships with both small and large sponsors - from 100€ gift cards to protein bars — and we make sure they get proper visibility. Being active and maintaining good communication is key.

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This was your first year running the league. What were your main takeaways?

The biggest lesson: if you do it well and as if you were doing it for yourself, participants notice, ask for more tournaments, and leave positive feedback. Do it for yourself, and you'll attract an audience that appreciates the quality.

And what are your plans for 2026?

This year our goal is to make the largest padel league in Latvia. We are already close to that. I believe by the second or third stage, we can achieve it and maintain this momentum.