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It's been a couple of years since the introduction of the hugely popular sport of Padel. This sport originated in Mexico and conquered the hearts of many sports lovers and players. The sport is fun for beginners and more advanced players because it is accessible. This made the sport explode in popularity with a high demand for courts, lessons, and coaches. This growth was so fast that locations had difficulty keeping up and getting an efficient booking system. In this blog, we'll take you through some ways ProAgenda will elevate your Padel court. How does ProAgenda elevate your Padel court to the next level? https://hubs.ly/Q02MGSRj0

Padel is a global sensation. And, everyone around me is getting hooked! Will it scale in India? I played padel in Spain for the first time 15 years ago when our hotel didn’t have a squash court. I didn’t see the sport for years then until very recently. When it started growing here I was doubtful about the sport. But once everyone started playing I couldn’t resist. There was something about padel that instantly clicked. And, I now try to play everywhere I go including my most recent trip to Turkey 😂 (PS - For those who don’t know, padel is a hybrid of tennis and squash with a smaller court and different racket) Today, it is the fastest growing sport in the world – with 25 million padel players worldwide. And, the global padel club market is set to 3x in value by 2026 However, finding an available court booking is as hard as getting past the rush hour traffic. I think this will change and the sport will scale massively. Here’s why: 🚀 It capitalizes on tennis fallout: Tennis clubs are losing members to crossfit, the fitness programme, or yoga. Also, picking up padel is so much easier. It’s just a hard sport to pick up if you start late. 🚀 Space Efficient: Cities lack open space, but padel requires less real estate than tennis. You can fit 2-3 padel courts within 1 tennis court. India's 25,000+ tennis courts offer prime conversion opportunities. 🚀 Beginner Friendly + Social Padel has a shorter learning curve compared to tennis, making it easier for beginners to pick up and enjoy. And, you play 4 at a time so, it’s very social. I’d say like a more engaging cousin of all racquet sports. The entire padel ecosystem is scaling further by the ongoing professionalization of the sport with the World Padel Tour. And, the reels on Instagram are going viral. It’s now becoming a real business. With opportunities in padel court manufacturing club operations, rackets, tournaments and even padel specific sneakers - there’s real money to be made. Yes, a new sport will take time to get adoption. But, the easier, social and space constrained nature of padel seems to make it perfect for scale in our country.  I predict a massive opportunity with the smartest people land grabbing now to gain first mover advantage :) The real question: will padel win or Pickleball? Maybe worth another post. Until then; have you played padel? What do you say Ronak Daftary Alan Healy? #sports #india #infrastructure #padeltennis #healthandwellness

Embrace the padel lifestyle to improve health, build community, and enjoy the sport's fun aspects. Our latest blog explores how padel can enhance your overall well-being and connect you with like-minded individuals. 🏅🌟 #Padel #HealthAndWellness #CommunityBuilding https://loom.ly/_u3dAVs

Unveiling Sport England's First Padel Participation Figures Sport England for the first time has captured player numbers for padel and pickleball. Their research indicates a core base of 23,000 English adult padel players (18,000 – 33,000 players with a 95% confidence interval). Presently, more men (78%) are playing than women. For context, tennis (861,000 players) and badminton (763,000 players) are the dominant established English racquet sports. Defining a player This new Sport England research, conducted by Ipsos, the global research company, defines an adult player as over the age of 16 who participated at least twice in the sport in the past month when they were surveyed. These two sessions need to have reached a minimum threshold of 60 minutes. Declining Established Racquet Participation in England It is interesting to look at the trend for the four established racquet sports which all show declines since 2016, so pre-dating the Covid-19 pandemic. There are 175,000 fewer squash players in England compared with seven years ago. What explains why established racquet sports participation has been declining? For some sports, there are fewer opportunities (venues) to play, but to what extent is it also physical capability and motivation? The Joy of Sport What struck me when I read the Sport England Active Lives report was how only 32% of people strongly agree with the statement: “I find sport enjoyable and satisfying.” It has been consistently at this same level for the past five years and just 25% for females. Given that sport is a festival of different activities and choices why is it not a time of absolute joy for more people? We know that more people are living with long-term health conditions and chronic pain and these people are less likely to be active so is ‘sport’, in all its forms, doing enough to adapt and effectively communicate to a changing population? Could emerging racquet sports like padel help more people to find exercise more intrinsically enjoyable? My forthcoming UK Padel Report As I research deeper into the sport of padel, I can see how it engages a wide inter-generational audience who do seem to find inherent and intrinsic joy in the sport — no need for an array of external incentives, points and rewards that nudge people to play. I am enjoying the opportunity to explore, decode and explain the padel ‘recipe.’ Strategic Partnership Opportunities I would enjoy speaking with organisations that would like to be associated with Oxygen Consulting’s forthcoming UK padel report, especially those who are taking the long view to grow an inclusive and sustainable sport. Strategic sponsor support means that the report can be free and open access. Please contact me to further explore this. Please do leave your comments and I will link to the full Active Lives report in the comments. Note: Respondent surveys collected between November 2022 & November 2023. Numbers rounded. #SportEngland  #PadelUK   #RacquetSports

Are the Key Points of Padel's Popularity Transferable to Squash? An article from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung by Thomas Klemm explains the popularity of padel through an interview with Johannes Lindmeyer, one of the best German padel players. In this article, he summarized some key points as follows:   Easy Entry and Quick Success: Padel enables quick and spectacular rallies through shorter rackets, smaller courts, and underhand serves. This allows players to experience success early, boosting motivation.   Social Component: Padel is always played in doubles, which fosters social interaction. Players often enjoy time together after the game, strengthening the sense of community.   Family Friendliness: Padel is a sport that can be played together by people of all ages and genders, making it an ideal family sport.   Ease of Learning: Padel is technically less demanding than tennis. After just one hour, players can engage in rallies.   Transferability to Squash The question now arises whether squash can draw conclusions from these key points of padel's popularity. The answer is a clear YES.   The trend towards racket sports, not just to padel, in the leisure landscape is evident. A motivation that drives almost everyone following this trend is to have fun in a sporting game with friends. According to the "Squash Global Report 2024," 90% of squash players are recreational players with little or no interest in the elite sports side of squash.   The question now is how the key points of the current popularity of other racket sports can be transferred to squash.   Potential for Squash Without a doubt, squash meets all the requirements to take advantage of this trend. The focus must be more on recreational players. Besides the social aspect, which was undoubtedly the reason for the boom in the 80s and 90s, squash is a fascinating sport. Squash also offers easily learnable variants like Squash 57. Various squash balls enable beginners to start playing quickly. Additionally, doubles squash, especially the hardball variant in North America, enjoys great popularity. The tools are available.   And let's not forget: squash is not just a recreational sport but can also be a competitive sport for ambitious players, with the possibility of participating in the Olympic Games.   Some also describe squash as a physical variant of chess. At a certain level of play, it is extremely difficult to make a winning shot without preparation. The opponent must be placed into a poor position through tactics, and then a winning shot can be made.   Conclusion The potential for squash is there, and the solution is simple: federations that have so far focused only on elite players must include recreational players in their considerations. Many insiders often point out: 10,000 recreational players result in 1,000 club members, and this forms the necessary basis to produce a top 10 player in the world.

It’s official, I’m addicted ….. ………to my new favourite sport - #Padel💥🎾👟👟 🥳I began my #Padel journey as a complete newbie 3 months ago and I love it because it supports my #mentalhealth by empowering me, #physically, #mentally, #emotionally and #spiritually 👶🏼For those of you who are still Padel virgins, it’s a fast-paced #racket sport played on an enclosed court, combining elements of tennis and squash, typically in doubles format 🏥Physical: Improves cardiovascular #health, enhances #agility and coordination, and #strengthens muscles 🧠Mental: Boosts #cognitive function through strategic play and #quick decision-making. Scientific research is proving that racquet sport players may avoid getting dementia or Alzheimer’s ❤️Emotional: The emotional #connection of playing padel includes fostering camaraderie and teamwork through doubles play, providing a sense of #achievement and #confidence from skill improvement, and offering #stress relief and enjoyment through engaging and dynamic physical activity 🌈Spiritual: Encourages #mindfulness as you have to be #present and in the moment. It also creates a sense of #community, fostering a deeper connection with oneself and others ❓Any other Padel addicts agree?

Is Padel the right sport for you? Whether you're an experienced athlete or someone looking to get more active, Padel offers a fun, low-impact workout suitable for a wide range of players. 🎾 Explore our complete guide to find out more! #Padel #FitnessJourney #HealthyLifestyle

Improve your club's profitability With summer's arrival, padel emerges as the perfect sport, offering not just physical activity but also social and community-building benefits. More clubs, including golf courses and tennis clubs, are recognizing the value of integrating padel into their offerings, enriching their memberships' experiences with a sport that promotes camaraderie and inclusivity. Why Padel Stands Out? ·        Social Engagement: Padel's doubles format fosters teamwork and communication, creating a friendly atmosphere where players bond on and off the court. ·        Inclusive Sport: Suitable for all ages and skill levels, padel encourages participation from diverse groups within the club community. ·        Enriching Experiences: Beyond competition, padel clubs host social events like barbecues and themed nights, enhancing club camaraderie and member connections.   Clubs are discovering that padel not only diversifies their sporting activities but also strengthens their social fabric. By adding padel, clubs create new avenues for interaction, community engagement, and healthy competition among members. At Portico Sport, we understand the pivotal role padel plays in enhancing club dynamics and member engagement. That's why we offer premium padel courts and canopies designed to elevate your club's padel experience. Our courts boast durable materials, customizable designs, and advanced playing surfaces that ensure optimal performance and player satisfaction. Whether it's our innovative canopies providing shelter from the elements or our meticulously crafted courts enhancing gameplay, Portico Sport is dedicated to helping clubs expand their padel offerings and create vibrant community spaces. Transform Your Club with our padel courts! Interested in integrating padel into your club's offerings? Contact us today to discover how we can tailor a padel solution that meets your club's unique needs. We can help you enhance your club's appeal with this dynamic and socially enriching sport. www.porticosport.com info@porticosport.com              

Exploring the Future of Padel and Pickleball in India Padel is a racquet sport combining elements of tennis and squash, played in doubles on an enclosed court, while pickleball is a paddle sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, played with a perforated ball. Pickleball's Presence: 1. Introduced in India in the 2000s, Pickleball faces challenges as a relatively new sport. 2. It thrives in the US market due to its cost-effectiveness compared to tennis. Padel's Landscape: 1. Padel, a fast-growing sport in Europe, encounters hurdles in India, including expensive court setups and lack of official recognition. 2. Limited courts in cities like Bangalore and Mumbai contribute to its lesser-played status. Exciting Developments: 1. Both sports are attracting foreign interest and investments in India. 2. In 2018, a collaborative effort between Portuguese and Indian entrepreneurs brought Padel to Bangalore, leaving a lasting impact. Challenges: 1. Limited female participation in both sports underscores the need for increased involvement. 2. Accessibility issues for both sports in tier 2 and 3 cities due to pay-to-play setups. 3. Pickleball courts are scarce in India compared to other sports, hindering its growth. Padel faces more hurdles because setting up Pickleball courts is more cost-effective and simpler than Padel. 4. Padel and Pickleball face stiff competition from Badminton, Tennis, Table Tennis and Squash. 5. With 2024 being an Olympic year, emphasis on Olympic sports may overshadow Padel and Pickleball. Opportunities Ahead: 1. Investments, both domestic and international, could catalyze the growth of Padel and Pickleball. 2. Identifying and nurturing local talent can elevate the sports to new heights. 3. Raising awareness is crucial for wider acceptance and participation. 4. Social media can aid Padel and Pickleball, but mainstream media support is pivotal. 5. Schools could be a game-changer by integrating both sports, with Pickleball being more adaptable and Padel requiring infrastructure investment. Bold Moves for Change: Alan Healy's venture to establish a Padel court in Bangalore, despite challenges, signifies progress in making recreation more accessible. The Road Ahead: 1. Padel and Pickleball, currently perceived as recreational or for retirees, have the potential to become India's next sporting phenomena with increased participation, global exposure and heavy investment. 2. Strategic steps, including investments and educational initiatives, can position these sports for broader acceptance in the Indian sports landscape. 3.Increased investments and higher prize money are necessary for Pickleball's growth. What are your thoughts on the development of Padel and Pickleball in India? Share in the comments. #SportsInIndia #PadelAndPickleball #GameChangers #IndianSportsFuture

Preparing for a padel club tournament involves a blend of physical training, skill enhancement, and mental preparation. Learn essential tips to excel and what to anticipate during the event to ensure a successful and enjoyable experience. 🎾🏆 #Padel #ProfessionalDevelopment #SportsPreparation