Durban- Hailed as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, padel is entrenching its popularity in South Africa and has found a new home at Musgrave Centre in Durban.
A cross between tennis and squash, the sport was born in Mexico in the 1960s but only became popular globally in recent years.
Tennis SA says this year padel has even cracked the nod as a sport at the European Games in Krakow, Poland, while an SA Invitational team will compete in the All African Games in Egypt in September.
While the sport can be played socially by one or two people, padel is essentially designed as a social sport for four. It uses three balls which resemble those used in tennis but is slightly smaller, while the padel bats are stringless and are constructed from glass or carbon fibre. It is scored in the same way as tennis.
The South African Padel Association (Sapa), which was accepted as an associate member of Tennis SA in 2021, is hard at work in the background; selecting teams, getting players coached and even getting an international coach for a “coach the coaches” programme, according to the Tennis SA website.
PadelSA says national swimming sensation Ryk Neethling was the brain behind the construction of the country’s first padel court built in Val de Vie in the Cape Winelands in 2019.
With the latest Padel Perfect franchise court on the rooftop of Musgrave Centre, the mall said the game was fun and suitable for all skill levels and brings the perfect combination of entertainment and fitness for their customers.
The centre’s marketing manager, Tineil Naicker, says they are trying to incorporate the sport into communities because of its various health benefits.
This is the second week following the opening and she says they've enjoyed at least a 50% occupancy rate as the word spreads.
The centre’s general manager, Ruth Isaac, said: “It’s an all-rounder game that is not only fun, it's also social and you get a great workout.”
Isaac said padel tennis could be played off the walls, which gave the game an exciting dimension.
She said that they wanted to get as many schools as possible to include the sport in their curricula.
“Padel tennis gives opportunities for pupils from diverse backgrounds to come together and learn from each other, promoting a sense of inclusion and tolerance.
“Our vision is for the youth to raise their padel level up and be a part of the fastest-growing sport. Musgrave Centre focuses on keeping these young minds active while having fun and boosting their cognitive abilities.”
Padel court hire costs R300 an hour, bat hire is R50 and you will have to fork out R140 to buy the three balls. It is open from 6am to 10pm daily and bookings can be made at padelperfect.co.za
The Independent on Saturday