If you live in Cyprus, you need hobbies, especially ones that are available all-year-round. And one option that is rapidly growing in popularity across the island is padel.
What is padel?
Padel is a fast-paced racquet sport played in pairs on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court. The game uses stringless racquets with holes and low-pressure balls that keep the rallies moving quickly.
You score points just like in tennis, but every serve must be hit underhand. The most unique aspect of the game is the surrounding glass walls, which allow you to keep playing the ball even after it bounces on the ground and hits the glass.
You win a point when your opponents hit the ball into the net or smash it directly into any wall without it bouncing on your side of the court first. You also win the point if the ball bounces twice on the opponents’ side of the ground, or if the ball strikes an opposing player’s body.
Why has it become so popular?
One key aspect of padel is its accessibility. Christopher Koutrouzas, the founder of Limassol padel club The Padel K, explains this to en.philenews, saying: “Padel is easy for anyone to play, even people who have never played a racquet sport before. It is more relaxed. You might even close a [corporate] deal out of nowhere with people you have just played with.
“People in their 40s and 50s come here, enjoy their game, have fun and have a beer afterwards.”
The court is much smaller than tennis, which is why it is preferred by many older people who might struggle with their mobility. It also helps that the underarm serving is a lot simpler than the overarm serve in tennis.
Generally, it is much easier to both reach the ball before it bounces twice, and there is much less strength and technique required to get it over the net, so a lot of people who struggle with these kind of sports will still enjoy padel.
And then compared to sports like football, it is much easier to get a game on. Unlike football, where you need at least ten people and are relying only on people you know personally to show up, with padel, you only need four players, and you can easily invite or join a match with strangers using the Playtomic app.
That means it is also a great way to meet new people and make friends, so it is an especially handy sport to get into if you are new to Cyprus. And don’t worry, Playtomic will match you with people who are your level.
An amateur player who moved from England to Cyprus tells en.philenews: “I have always enjoyed playing racquet sports, but as I approached 60 I was restricted to the occasional game of tennis and struggled to deal with the physical demands of the game.
“As padel is essentially designed as a doubles game and is played in a smaller and more confined area than tennis with a lighter racquet and underarm serves, the physical demands are much less. It is a sport that I can play on a weekly basis and is still good exercise.
“My wife broke her back a year ago and we were very upset at the prospect that she may have to give up a new found hobby that was giving us so much joy. Fortunately, she is now back on the padel court again.
“At the age of 60, if it was not for padel, neither myself or my wife would be playing a sport now.”
How big is it in Cyprus?
It’s fair to say padel has become huge in Cyprus, much like it is in many other parts of the Middle East. The combination of great year-round weather, a highly social lifestyle, and the game’s beginner-friendly nature has fueled a massive boom in court construction and player participation.
There are more than 50 registered clubs and over 200 courts operating across the country, with Limassol acting as the ‘padel capital’. There are 86 courts in the city at the moment, but that number is set to spike, and it could cause a problem for the game’s investors, according to Koutrouzas.
Too many courts?
Koutrouzas estimates that there are tens of application for padel licenses in Limassol alone.
“If licences start being given out everywhere, all the clubs will probably be busy during peak hours, from around 6.30pm to 9.30pm. But what happens during the rest of the day? Clubs may start charging €20 or €15 per court instead of €40, because at the end of the day this is an investment. Clubs need to find a way to fill the courts throughout the day, not just from 7pm to 10pm.
“Just because more licences are given and the more courts are built, it does not mean that another 50 people will suddenly start playing padel every day. Clubs will have to find a way to keep the courts busy during off-peak hours as well.”
“The granting of padel court licenses is subject to very strict requirements in order to prevent any adverse impact on residential amenities and on the residential character of the host area,” the Limassol District Local Government Organisation (LDLGO) told en.philenews.
“The Local Plan stipulates enhanced separation distances and minimum plot size requirements. The same principles are applied, by analogy,” it added.
However, if this does become a problem, it will be something for the operators and investors to worry about rather than the customers. For players, more venues and lower prices can only be a good thing.
So for anyone living in Cyprus looking to fill their calendar with an addictive, year-round hobby, there is arguably no better or more affordable time to get on the court, especially compared to somewhere like the UK, where court bookings can be almost double the price.
