The RAF recently held its first ever padel event — and now has its crosshairs set on Armed Forces inter-service competitions and even international tournaments with NATO partners and allied nations!
Ben Hanley, RAF Officer and Armed Forces padel lead, organised the RAF’s inaugural event at UK Padel Holmer Green in High Wycombe, where Tom Farquharson — GB international and co-founder of The Padel School — helped introduce service personnel to the sport.
Hanley told The Padel Paper: “The Armed Forces are always looking for sports that improve physical fitness, social connection, resilience and wellbeing — and what makes padel particularly interesting for Defence is its accessibility.
“You don’t need years of experience to enjoy it, and you can have a great game with people of different ages, abilities and ranks. That’s quite rare.
“At the same time, the Armed Forces provide a huge opportunity for the sport. We have thousands of personnel across the UK and overseas, established sports structures, and a culture that embraces competition. As padel grows in the civilian world, it makes sense that it grows within Defence, too.”
The reasons for the RAF jumping into padel make sense, and Ben was evidently impressed by the level of interest the first event received from experienced players and new ones.
“We initially thought we’d attract a relatively small group of players who already knew the sport,” Ben explained. “What actually happened was that many people came along having never picked up a padel racket before and immediately wanted to play again.
“The biggest feedback was how social and inclusive it felt. We had players from different services, nations, ranks and backgrounds all sharing a court together. That’s one of the reasons padel is growing so quickly worldwide.
“The event also proved there was genuine demand. It wasn’t just a one-off curiosity; people immediately started asking when the next event would be.
“With support from Tom [Farquharson] from the Padel School it made sure these people who played for the first time got great tips from the offset. It’s not often you get coached by a team GB player on your first time!
Breeding ground…
It is easy to see how the Armed Forces could become a breeding ground for high-level padel players, as happens in other sports, and they are being given the tools to ensure there is a platform laid out for them.
Ben explains: “We’re already seeing interest from across the RAF, Army and Royal Navy, and we’re beginning to create the structures needed to support that growth.
“In the short-term, that means more local and regional events, station competitions and opportunities for new players to try the sport. Longer term, we can see service championships, inter-service competitions and potentially international military events involving NATO partners and allied nations.
“The exciting thing is we’re still at the beginning. The demand is already there. The RAF summer champs are just around the corner.
“We’re already seeing some very talented players emerge from within the military community. The Armed Forces have a long history of producing elite athletes because the qualities required for high-level sport; discipline, commitment, teamwork and resilience, are qualities that service personnel already possess.
“As participation grows, the standard will naturally rise. I have no doubt we’ll see military players competing at very high national levels in the future.
“But success for us isn’t just about producing elite players. It’s about creating a pathway where somebody can pick up a racket for the first time at their station, enjoy the sport, make new connections and then progress as far as they want to go.”
Ben, an avid padel player, wants not only to give Armed Forces padel players a platform, but to embed it into the sporting curriculum.
“My vision is simple,” he explains. “Padel becomes a recognised and established sport across Defence, with opportunities for everyone from complete beginners through to elite competitors.
“I’d love to see courts on military bases, regular competitions across all three services, international military championships, and the UK Armed Forces becoming recognised as one of the leading military padel communities in the world.
“Regarding courts on Military bases, the army are working with one company and the RAF another as we speak. Mission Padel are about to build a five-court facility in Hampshire. I’m currently working on a tri-service roll out plan to get as many people playing as possible.
“Most importantly, I’d like padel to become another tool that improves people’s lives, helping personnel stay active, build friendships and strengthen the sense of community that is so important in military life. This was the vision I had from the first time I picked up a padel racket. It’s taken a long time but we’re almost there!”
