World number one Lebron lauds rising popularity of padel in UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The World No.1 Juan Lebron has hailed the growth of padel in the UAE.

Padel continues to gain major traction in the country with scores of new world-class facilities enhancing grassroots adoption and interest in the sport.

There are roughly 350 private and public courts in the country. Last year in November, Dubai hosted the World Padel Championships and now the Modon Abu Dhabi Padel Master 2023, which will be organised by Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOL Events) and presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi, will be the only master category tournament hosted by the World Padel Tour in the Middle East.

The Abu Dhabi Padel Master, the fast-growing sport's year-opening event with 128 of the world’s top players, will take place on Hudayriat Island from February 21-26.

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“As more and more young people take up this sport, there has been positive growth,” said the Spaniard.

Meanwhile, Diego Martinez was crowned the winner of the Red Bull Local Hero Tour, a unique padel tournament held in the UAE for the first time ever.

The winner was selected for garnering the most points during the course of the tournament, which was held under the supervision of nine-time padel world champion, Lebron.

The winner took home the grand prize of an all-inclusive trip to Madrid to train in Lebron’s Academy Camp, beating Diego Martinez in the final after an impressive run in the qualifiers.

The four-stage qualifiers kicked off in Ajman, with matches held at Padel Square, followed by matches at the Let’s Padel Academy in Abu Dhabi.

The last two stages of the qualifiers were held in Dubai on the courts of the Let's Paddle Academy before at Ballers – Dubai on Saturday.

The tournament also witnessed padel enthusiasts and promising players getting tips Lebron, who also was on the court supervising matches as well as providing advice and guidance on the sport