Game4Padel, the UK’s leading developer/operator of padel courts, is proposing to construct four padel courts at Ipswich Sports Club. The courts will be the first multi-court padel centre in East Anglia and will be located at the Club’s Tuddenham Road site.
Padel is reported to be the world’s fastest-growing sport. The game originally started in Mexico and
quickly swept through South America and then into Europe. Spain is reckoned to have over 20,000 padel courts, and an estimated six million active players – it is now the country’s second-biggest participation sport after football. Fans of the sport include Andy Murray, David Beckham, Jurgen Klopp, Bradley Walsh, Peter Crouch, Lionel Messi and Nicole Scherzinger and forecasters predict padel will become an Olympic sport by 2032.
The new courts in Ipswich will be covered by canopy courts, allowing play all year round – one of the big attractions of the game. A planning application will be presented to Ipswich Borough Council with the intention of completing the courts later this Summer. A popup court will be installed at the Club’s Henley Road site to give potential players a chance to experience padel.
Speaking about the centre, Ipswich Sports Club Director Alec Livingstone said: “We have seen how quickly the game is growing worldwide – it is really sociable, great fun and easy to pick up – you don’t need any previous tennis or squash experience to play. I am sure that with the SportsClub’s experience in racket sports, combined with Game4Padel’s undoubted expertise, we can deliver an exciting new sporting opportunity for Suffolk.
Game4Padel Co-Founder and CEO, Michael Gradon added: “In the past year, there has been unprecedented demand for new padel courts around the country – it’s really gaining momentum as people become addicted to this fun, new sport. At Game4Padel we are leading the way in terms of installing courts, offering to fund venues and managing facilities to ensure courts are well used. We plan to have up to 50 padel venues open by the end of 2022.”
Game4Padel already has the most courts open around the UK including:
● Thistle Padel Club, Edinburgh
● Barnton Park LTC, Edinburgh
● Windsor Penarth LTC, Penarth
● Huddersfield LT&SC, Yorkshire
● Withdean Sports Complex, Brighton
The company has a further 22 venues secured including Westfield London (Europe’s largest retail
destination), a partnership with golf’s R&A at Lethamhill Glasgow, Parabola Edinburgh Park business
park, Ocean Terminal Leith, Broxbourne Sports Club, Draycott Sports Centre, Liverpool Cricket Club and Forthill Community Sports Club Dundee, and is in advanced discussions with an additional 50 venues. Game4Padel boasts a diverse group of experienced UK investors, including former world no.1 tennis player Andy Murray, the former British no.1 players Annabel Croft and Andrew Castle, and Welsh rugby legend Jonathan Davies. The company’s Chief Executive is Michael Gradon, a former longstanding Commercial and Finance Chair of the Wimbledon Championships.
Game4Padel offers to partner with a wide range of venues, including sports clubs, leisure centres, parks, schools, universities and, increasingly, commercial venues. Its capital and technical expertise enable it to finance, install, maintain and operate padel courts in any setting. The company also creates bespoke coaching and playing programmes, events, tournaments, and engagement activities for children and schools.
For more information, please visit Game4padel.com. To book a taster session, please head over to our Members Portal to book.
