With the news that the APT Padel Tour is coming to Cape Town, the tour has taken a historical step by expanding into a new continent and growing the number of events it hosts around the world. By entering into Africa, The APT Padel Tour now organises events on four different continents: Europe, North and South America and Africa. That’s us!
What’s Padel?
Padel is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by walls of glass and metallic mesh on a court one third of the size of a tennis court. The game is started by a ball being served much like tennis, the purpose is that the ball leaves the opponent’s bat and is only allowed to touch the ground once — over the net-in the competitor’s field. Balls can be volleyed, lobbed or smashed to win points, they can also be returned off any of the glass walls. The sport also improves hand-to-eye co-ordination, involves social gamesmanship and incorporates strategy, skills and athleticism as it encourages players to think two, three shots ahead.
The game has taken off globally:
The game is for all shapes, sizes and ages and has the rare ability of being able to put families, the old and the young, men and women and every other person against each other. With the outbreak and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global population
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the global population’s exercise and physical activity regime, Padel offers a COVID-friendly sporting activity to over 18 million players around the world physical and mental benefits and cerebral game, is quite unique. To accommodate this fast growing sport, 15 000 new Padel courts were registered in Europe in 2021 for the excess of 250 000 new players each year in more than 90 countries around the world.
Invented approximately 50 years ago by the Mexican entrepreneur Enrique Corcuera, Padel is a sport on the rise. Argentina and Spain were the great engines of the growth of this sport, changing it from being an almost exclusive pastime of the jet-setters to conquering millions of people all over the world. In the last few years, this sport has expanded dramatically and is already played on five continents, with courts in over 57 countries.
One of the fundamental pillars to raise awareness of the sport, the Monte Carlo International Sports company presided over by the Monegasque businessman Fabrice Pastor, launched this professional circuit at the beginning of 2020, with the aim of improving the level of competition with greater prizes and better infrastructures.
The circuit, with the support of the Continental American Padel Federation (CAPF) and the Federation of European Padel (FEPA), expanded in 2021 to the European continent, achieving the participation of 772 professional players (615 men and 157 women) of 26 nationalities, in more than 40 tournaments organised in eleven countries.
For the year 2022, the circuit expands its borders and increases the number of tournaments to include the Junior category for players under 18 years of age, which will join the existing Future, Open, Master and Grand Master categories.
In attempts to professionalise the sport, the circuit will allocate funds to the Associations of each host country for the installation of courts in public centres (schools, parks, etc.) and the organisation of training courses in different areas.
“Having lived sporadically in Cape Town over the last few years, I have never encountered a more active and sporty country. With this in mind I recognised and was convinced that Padel would become a very popular sport. The development of Padel in the last year alone has been absolutely incredible,” states Philippe Kjellgren Chairman and founder of Africa Padel who had the initiative to create Africa Padel.
Padel comes to Cape Town:
If you want to see why the world is calling this the ‘Fastest Growing Sport’ then get involved at the Africa Padel APT Tour which will be at the Camps Bay sports fields.
Centre court, a food village and beach bars will all be on offer. A combination of squash and tennis on a 20mx10m court. Every game ignites its viewers with enthralling rallies and high risk decisions.
“We look forward to welcoming you to the Greatest Show!” adds Rudi Keil, well-known post international and local rugby player and the Press Officer for Africa Padel & APT.
Some guests who will be attending or playing in ProAms and Exhibition Matches include Thomas Johansson, Robin Soderling, Gary Muller, Bryan Habana, Hanyani Shimange, Neil McKenzie, Ryk Neethling, Jeannie Dee, Ryan O’Connor, and Cindy Nell.
- Date: 18 to 24 April
- Time: 4pm to 7pm
- Location: Camps Bay sports fields
- Tickets: airdosh.co.za
- Cost: R200 (Monday to Thursday) / R300 (Friday to Sunday)
- Dress code: sports-chic (think Wimbledon)
- More information: aptmasterct.clickmaverick.co.za
Also read:
Picture: Supplied