Padel fans in for a treat this weekend at the Padel4Good tournament
Cape Town - Cape Town Padel enthusiasts are in for a treat as the Padel4Good tournament rolls out again in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, on Friday.
Padel4Good is a Non-Profit Organisation that uses sports to entertain and endorse healthy living while empowering those in need.
Padel - sometimes labelled Padel Tennis - is a combination of tennis and squash typically played in doubles on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a traditional doubles tennis court.
While the game shares the same scoring system as tennis, the rules, strokes, and techniques differ. The balls used are similar but with less pressure, and the main differences are that the court has walls, which you can play off, similar to squash.
Padel was first played in 1969 but has become the latest craze, especially in Cape Town, with courts across the City.
“Our mission is to use the growing popularity of Padel, a fun and dynamic racquet sport, to bring people together for a charitable purpose,” says the NPO’s Gia Cawood.
“We believe sport can be a powerful tool to unite people, create positive social impact, and raise awareness around important issues. Through our events, we hope to inspire people to participate in our cause and make a meaningful difference in their communities,” added Cawood, who will form part of a team rolling out its second event since inception earlier this year.
The upcoming Padel4Good tournament will take place at Epic Padel in Paarden Eiland. The competition will consist of four groups of four teams, each group competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams of each group will then progress to the quarters, semis, and finals.
The Padel4Good brand works hand in hand with NPO Enrich South Africa and the Ryan O’Connor Foundation (ROC) to assist women and children exposed to and affected by gender-based violence, abuse, poverty, and hunger.
“In addition to our events, as part of further efforts to raise funds for charity, we will be selling raffle tickets to the public with some incredible prizes up for grabs,” added Cawood.
The brand has brought on some big players - including Samsung, the Real Repair Company, Intergro Technologies, Cellucity, G Tech Office Solution, Century City Hotel, and Viride Power - to assist in growing the sport in South Africa and subsequently helping where it matters, by playing a role in protecting and uplifting the vulnerable women and children of the Western Cape and South Africa.
Padel4Good aims to host events on a bi-monthly basis, and Padel players are encouraged to enter their teams through the Playtomic website.
Registration per a person costs R490, which includes your playing T-shirt. For more details, you can also visit www.padel4good.co.za.
@juliankiewietz
IOL Sport