A BRAND new sport is coming to Sussex as a sports complex launches a new exhibition to showcase the game.
Brighton and Hove will soon be a major home to one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, as "padel" comes to Withdean Sports Complex.
The game is a tennis/squash hybrid, typically played in doubles on an enclosed court roughly 25 per cent smaller than the size of a tennis court. Scoring is the same as normal tennis and the balls used are similar but with a little less pressure.
Freedom Leisure, which operates Withdean on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council, has agreed a deal with the UK’s leading padel brand Game4Padel to install an exhibition court to showcase the game of padel.
Darryl Keech, area manager of Freedom Leisure, said: “There is a huge and growing demand for padel in the Brighton area and we are really proud and excited to partner with Game4Padel, the UK’s leading padel operator, to open Brighton and Hove’s first ever padel venue.
"We are confident we can grow Withdean into one of the biggest and best padel venues in the country. We also look forward to exploring with Game4Padel the potential to add padel to other suitable Freedom Leisure sites across the country.”
It is planned that this first court will be followed by a number of permanent padel courts at Withdean as demand for the sport grows.
From Monday November 22, Brighton and Hove residents will have the opportunity to play a sport which already boasts six million players in Spain and is rapidly gaining popularity across the UK, continental Europe and the rest of the world.
Celebrity fans and players of padel include Andy Murray, Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Maria Sharapova, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
Game4Padel, the company behind a UK-wide network of playing facilities, will install and operate the pop-up exhibition court at the Withdean complex in Tongdean Lane for at least six months.
This will give the public a chance to play padel in the city before plans for permanent courts at Withdean are progressed. Game4Padel will operate a user-friendly online booking and payment system, ensuring easy access to the courts for players.
Michael Gradon, co-founder and chief executive of Game4Padel, said: “Padel is great fun and incredibly addictive once you’ve had your first taste of playing, so we’re very pleased to be able to give people in Brighton and Hove the opportunity to do so at a great venue like Withdean.
“It’s an easy game for beginners to pick up quickly, so you don’t need to have played tennis or squash or other racket sports before in order to enjoy playing padel.
"Because you don’t have to cover a large court area, it is manageable for both young and old players, hence the huge participation levels you see in countries like Spain and Sweden.
"We look forward to seeing people of all ages play and hearing about their experiences of what is still a relatively new but fast-growing game in the UK, but one that will now have a significant presence in Brighton thanks to Freedom Leisure and Brighton & Hove City Council.”
Game4Padel describes the game as a form of tennis that is "fun, easy to play and sociable", it is played with four players in a glass-enclosed court about one-third of the size of a tennis court.
The rules are broadly similar to tennis, although players serve underarm – making it much easier for beginners – and the walls are used as part of the game, making for longer rallies.
It can be played in groups of mixed ages and abilities, as tactics and subtlety are as important as power.
Anyone wanting to trial the game can play for free on the Withdean court for two weeks from November 22. Booking details can be found at www.game4padel.com/withdean-sports-complex.
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