PADEL -SPORTS CRAZE- PEDALS : HONOURS

 

Where Did It Come From? : The first padel court is believed to have been constructed at the resort residence of one Enrique Corcuera, a wealthy businessman in Mexico, in 1969.

Depending on the account, he either did not have enough space for tennis court or he wanted to experiment : either on the various racquet sports he had encountered on his travels in the United States of America or on froton, a game that is played by striking a ball on to a wall with bare hands.

In the seventies, either Corcuera or one of his friends brought the game to their native Spain, where it has now enjoyed decades of popularity.

It has also found favour in other Spanish -speaking countries, especially Argentina and Uruguay.

In 1991, representatives from the padel  associations of the three countries came together to form the International Padel Federation [ FIP].

While the sport was gaining in  popularity, its popularity in Europe skyrocketed during the pandemic, amidst a ban on contact sports. The end of the pandemic provided another surge,  with the game becoming the rage in Gulf countries.

Last year, Qatar Sports Investment [ QSI ], the owner of French football Club Paris Saint Germain, acquired the World Padel Tour, the official international circuit, to merge it with the  QSI-backed Premier Padel Circuit.

The influx of money and sponsorships has seen a growth in the number of tournaments, prize money and players.

There are reportedly 25 million players globally spread over 110 countries 

The World Students Society thanks Hussain Dada.