Wimbledon tennis buzz invades South Africa at Joburg gig

PREVALENCE: COURTS AND CLUBS FOR SPORT SPRINGING UP IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD

- Hein Kaiser

Padel is fun, it's social and it's exercise with a purpose. Yet, as recently as three years ago, getting a game of padel was not easy, because there were few courts and even fewer players.

It's different now, with courts and clubs springing up in every neighbourhood and more people getting into the culture of it all.

There are nearly 80 padel clubs in Gauteng now.

"It is addictive because it is easy," said Shane McLaren, co-founder of Padel Active in Boksburg. "You do not need to be athletic to have fun. It is outside, it is social and you are never too far away from the ball."

The appeal, he said, goes far beyond the game itself.

"You do not just play. You hang out. You grab a coffee, the kids run around, there is a braai going or a game on the big screen," said McLaren.

"It has become part of people's lifestyle. We've got families, teens, pensioners, all in the mix."

Unlike tennis or squash, which can be intimidating to newcomers, padel is accessible from the get-go.

The racquets are lightweight and the rules simple, McLaren said. The court is enclosed, so there is less chasing and more action.

Marci de Oliviera, his partner in Padel Active, said it is the kind of sport where you can get stuck in without needing a decade of coaching behind you.

"It is rare to find a sport where a grandfather can play with his teenage grandkids and still keep up," he said.