The Rise Of Padel
Padel is becoming more popular, not just abroad but also in South Africa. In South Africa, there are now 4 locations where players can access courts. These include the Val de Vie Estate in Paarl, Cape Town; Padel Tennis SA at Ijump; Action Padel at Canal Walk; and the new comer, Africa Padel, which has opened in Camps Bay.
The rise of padel has been immense in some countries, big and small. And players are loving it, whether you are playing for fun or competitively. Virgin Active in South Africa are also starting to add courts to some of their gyms which will make it a one stop fitness location for many.
Padel Worldwide
Despite the fact that the first court only arrived in the country in late 2020, padel tennis has quickly gained popularity in South Africa. There will be hundreds of well-established courts nationally in 2023 due to the rise of Padel. Furthermore Padel can be played by people of all ages and abilities. It is a fun mashup of tennis and squash. This sport is becoming more and more popular, and it is not just in South Africa; over 25 million people play it worldwide in 90 different nations.
Over the years, a number of origin theories for padel have emerged. However the correct version is that Padel was created by Enrique Corcuera in Mexico in 1969. First of all, Corcuera lacked the land needed to construct a tennis court. Nonetheless, this inspired him to design and construct a 20 m by 10 m court surrounded by 3 m high walls. He also included using a flat wooden racquet. Padel was born as a result!
Subsequently, Alsonso de Hohenlohe, a friend of Corcuera, brought the sport to Spain. He assisted in the Marabella Club’s construction of the first padel courts five years later. The new sport subsequently developed a sizable following across the nation.
According to some research padel is Spain’s second most popular sport, soccer being the first. Spain has 6 million players and 20 000 courts countrywide which is an enormous amount. Apparently Argentina has roughly 2 million players whilst Italy has around 5 000 courts. There is currently 15 000 new padel courts under construction in Europe according to Padelathlete.com.
Padel vs Tennis
The plays, courts, and racquets of the sport are considerably different from tennis, despite the fact that it uses a similar scoring system. Firstly, a padel game resembles a double tennis match. The padel courts are enclosed, therefore playing the ball off the wall is permitted and encouraged. The use of walls gives the game an exciting new aspect and permits trick shots and rallies. The second requirement is that the service be delivered over the net and into the opposing diagonal square. Moreover, the service only allows for underarm play.
In contrast, the racquets are sturdy and stringless. You will need padel balls to play with, which are similar to tennis balls but smaller with less bounce. Because of its growing popularity, the sport is increasingly being included in international competitions. This is in an effort to qualify for the Olympics. Betway is an excellent bookie to start with for your betting needs if you want to give Padel betting a go.
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Padel Venues in South Africa
The global app Playtomic is used by most padel companies as their booking system. This includes Africa Padel. By using this app players can book courts close by and you can create private matches or search for games to join. The cost ranges from R400-R600 per hour for the court and a racquet anything from R2 000, however you can rent a racquet as well. Here we list some of the Padel Venues in South Africa:
- Padel Lab Clubview – Centurion
- Proactive Padel – Irene Country Club Centurion
- Padel Clearwater Crossing – Roodepoort
- Padel Lab – Ruimsig
- Padel Lab – Rivonia
- Africa Padel – Sandton
- Padel Plus – Benoni
- Africa Padel – Green Point
- The Padel Club – Lourensford Wine Estate
- Africa Padel – Claremont
- Africa Padel – Camps Bay
- Padel Nation – Umhlanga
- Eden Padel – Salt Rock
- Africa Padel- Kloof
- Africa Padel – Plettenberg Bay
There is also a court in East London, Beacon Bay and in Hillcrest Durban. Bloubergstrand, Paarden Eiland, Illovo and Randburg also boast with some padel courts. We are positive the figure by the end of 2023 will be vastly different due to the rise of padel! So if you are in search of a Padel Court in your area just download the app to make your life easier. Padel Lab and Africa Padel have definitely made a splash in and we will surely see much more from them.
The Rise of Padel – Conclusion
The CEO of Africa Padel, James Baber, said there were roughly 176 padek courts nationwide end of 2022 which is not that many. However more courts are opening in Gqeberha, Knysna and Balito amongst other places. Thousands of South Africans have taken to the sport. Soon enough we will see and have plenty of options to choose from. Padel is a fun and exciting game amongst friends and rivals.
Furthermore Padel has been approved for the 2023 European Games in Krakow. This has sparked competition among players. This is incredibly fantastic for SA as well as Padel. The South African Padel Association (SAPA) is actively picking teams, coaching players, and even hiring an outside coach for a “coach the coaches programme” in the background.
With Padel evolving daily we look forward to seeing Padel more prominent in South Africa with the skills and facilities to boot. So keep an eye on our best betting sites for offers in the future and games to bet on. As the sport grows in popularity some promotions and competitions may pop up with bookies. We suggest you keep an eye on Supabets, 10bet, Hollywoodbets and as mentioned above also Betway.
