Toulouse: In a few years, the Pink City has become the French capital of padel
In recent years, padel has been in vogue. With its international tournament; its licensees and its many clubs, Toulouse is the embassy of this increasingly popular sport.
The arrival of padel in France caused an earthquake and its epicenter is in Toulouse. For several years, the glazed grounds and the small racket have attracted a large public and in particular amateur sportsmen. More and more licensees are joining clubs in the metropolis and many courses are opening up. “We are really the city of Padel”, smiles Kevin, the manager of the Toulouse Padel Club. I
the opened many courts to accommodate members who are more and more keen on this sport. “Since Covid-19, our attendance has almost doubled. We went from 7 pitches to 14 in a few years. We are now the biggest club in France, ”says Kevin.
Toulouse, land of padel
The simple rules of padel contribute to the attraction of the discipline. The racquet is smaller and more manageable than that of tennis. The service is also easier and it is not necessary to have a lot of technique to start the exchanges.
Locally, there are already many followers. The Occitanie league is the first Padel league and close to Toulouse, there are no less than fifteen clubs.
In addition to the concept that appeals, padel can rely on quality ambassadors. Star presenter Cyril Hanouna, basketball player Tony Parker or judoka Teddy Riner have become the faces of the tricolor padel. The latter two even participated in the promotion of the Human Padel Open, the first major French tournament which took place in Toulouse last June.
This competition is an opportunity, once again, to promote the practice by bringing the greatest international players to the Pink City as well as many celebrities. “We had received quite a few proposals and it’s true that the city of Toulouse, as the discussions progressed, emerged as the natural favorite to host the event. There is a story around padel in this city, ”explained, a few weeks ago, the ex-basketball player Tony Parker in our columns.
For young and old
One of the strengths of padel remains the diversity of player profiles. With strong media coverage on social networks and broadcasts on major channels like Canal +, this sport has a bright future ahead of it. “At the start, we generally only had former tennis or squash players. Today, we have students, companies or families who come to play. There are no more typical player profiles, ”admits Kevin, who sees different customers passing through his club. Other events and competitions, related to padel, will see the light of day in Toulouse.