Padel courts offer 'something completely new'

One of the fastest-growing sports in world, padel, finally arrived on the Isle of Man last week.

Nestled in the centre of Noble's Park in Douglas, Manx Padel's six-court set-up saw more than 100 people try out the sport at its official opening on Saturday.

The game, which mixes elements of squash and tennis, is played in doubles on a smaller, enclosed court.

Co-owner Peter Pearce said the project, which started about two years ago, was about creating a community rather than just offering a new sport.

He said the game itself was accessible to everyone, and had a familiar feel to many because aspects are similar to other racket sports.

He explained: "This hits a good hybrid, so you could play this without a lot of technical skill.

"I've got a two-year-old and four-year-old and they love just coming down just trying to hit the ball, and the best thing is if they miss the ball it bounces back to them."

Noble's Park was chosen as the location because of its central location, already high footfall and access to parking, which enabled "access to a big community", he added.

Plans are currently under consideration to build a canopy over the courts to create "something that could withstand the weather", Pearce said.

Student Joe Jones, who plays at the courts, said: "I think there's sometimes a lack of stuff to do over here, and you can get a bit bored doing the same stuff, so having something new and different is good."

Tennis coach Neil Ronan said he had already played at the courts several times and the attraction was "something completely new" for the island.

He said its accessibility was down to it being "not quite as difficult as tennis".

"There's no over-arm serve, so that makes a big difference. It makes it more accessible to most people.

"The Isle of Man is a very sporty place, so to get something like this set up is absolutely brilliant."

Playing with a group of fellow tennis players, Helen Brooks said it was "lovely to have something else that we can have a go at".

She said it would be "brilliant" to have a canopy over the courts, adding: "There's not much in the winter. Tennis gets cancelled a lot in the winter, so if it was indoor, it would be all year. It would be fantastic."

Amy Bourbon said the group were still getting to grips with the new sport.

"I've always loved tennis, and I've just taken up pickleball, and paddle is almost sort of in the middle," she said.

"Also, if you've played squash before it's much easier to pick up because obviously you're using walls.

"So it can be quite difficult for tennis players to get their heads around it but it's fun trying."

Charlotte Brooks agreed it was "something new for the island, which we haven't had in a long time".

"So I think it will attract a lot of people," she added.

Pearce said the venture had the potential to expand into other parts of the island, and getting schools involved was also on the cards.

"We're talking in the schools in Douglas and we'd love to just help build the junior community in this as well," he added.

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