Ben Nichols, CEO and founder of communications consultancy Padel 22, concludes his series assessing the truth behind the ‘padel boom’ in its key growth nations around the world
Padel’s growth is not consistent across all parts of the world – and the reality of its actual development isn’t always aligned with the hyperbole that surrounds it.
It would, therefore, be remiss of me not to mention some of the nations where the sport is growing, albeit at a different pace than the previous six nations I’ve discussed in this series (UAE, UK, USA, Australia, Africa and India).
There’s Croatia, the beautiful holiday destination and self-described ‘Jewel in the Crown of the Adriatic’. This country, war-torn not so long ago, has become a destination for many in their search for summer sun, jaw-dropping coastlines, rugged fishing villages and, well, somewhere that’s not Spain.
With Spain and Portugal having become default European padel destinations, it’s now Croatia’s turn. The Croatian padel tour and court business, Padel4Yu, led by the forward-thinking Damir Pastuhovic, is seeking to turn the Balkan nation into a padel destination.
In Asia, plans to capitalise on Malaysia’s love of racket sports are in place, bringing padel to Kuala Lumpur and further afield. Their first court at One&Only Desaru Coast in Johor was built last year and is operated by former Malaysia national tennis coach Mulyadi Bin Jamal.
With the country’s track record in badminton and squash, the foundations are there, over the medium term, to turn Malaysia into an Asian padel powerhouse.
Then there is Singapore, Hong Kong and other cities which are fertile ground for padel to tap into the expat and local markets and solidify itself as a reflection of the globalised world we now live in.
For padel, the prospects are good. The upward trajectory may not be in a straight line due to cultural or logistical issues in each nation, but padel’s quest for global domination is rapidly gaining momentum.
See also:
State of the Game: Padel in the UK
State of the Game: Padel in the UAE
State of the Game: Padel in Australia
State of the Game: Padel in the USA
State of the Game: Padel in Africa
State of the Game: Padel in India
Images: Padel Africa
