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Kriya Gangiah on the rapidly growing padel sport possibly being the new golf [VIDEO]
In February, celebs will take each other on.
Padel advocate: media personality Kriya Gangiah is contributing to the growth of the padel sport in South Africa. Picture: Supplied
During the noughties, golf became insanely popular among businesspeople because of its value as a networking tool for clinching deals.
Padel, established in the late 1960s, has grown in popularity in the last decade, with many influential people taking up the sport.
Prominent people taking it up have likened it to golf in how it connects people beyond the court.
“I don’t want to say it’s the new golf, but it gives the same feelings as golf,” media personality Kriya Gangiah told The Citizen.
“Golf might be a little bit for the older generation; you still do your business meetings on the golf course, and you still sign deals. But one thing that padel has that golf doesn’t, is the time,” averred Gangiah.
She says one needs to set aside about six hours in their day to play golf, while two hours at most is sufficient for a game of padel.
Gangiah spoke to The Citizen at the launch of the Inaugural Sunbet Padel Invitational in Sandton.
She is the founder of the Sunbet Padel Invitational set for next month, where celebrities will take each other on in the growing sport.
Padel merges together the best elements of tennis and squash, with a smaller court and walls.
ALSO READ: Rudy Paige on the Boks, ‘Behind The Ruck’ podcast and being part of inaugural pedal competition
Padel’s growth in SA
The sport has seen rapid growth among former athletes and prominent individuals in recent times.
David Beckham, Serena Williams, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Lionel Messi are among the fans of the racquet sport.
“Padel has become South Africa’s fastest-growing sport, and it’s been thrilling to see the community that has developed around it,” said Gangiah.
Gangiah added that pedal is also ideal for team building because it allows people to let loose and not ruminate. After all, their endorphins are released.
“What I’ve really noticed is that the pedal community is that, one, are people of influence, two, are people that love the sport — when you’re addicted to pedal, you’re addicted,” averred Gangiah.
Like any good entrepreneur, Gangiah noticed an opportunity in the market when she saw that many South African celebrities were taking up the sport.
“So why not create an opportunity where people have admired these celebrities throughout their youth and growing up, you can come together in a sport that you both love in a neutral environment and have a little bit of fun.”
The Sunbet Padel Invitational, in partnership with Sunbet, is set for mid-February.
True to her word about pedal being addictive, Gangiah said she only started playing the game about two and a half years ago after being introduced to it by a friend.
“When I say I’m hooked, I am absolutely hooked. I play three to four days a week, one to two hours a day,” she said.
She says one of the great things about padel is that one gets to meet new people.
“The people I play pedal with or now spend time with are people I’ve never met before in my entire life. It also gives you that exercise. It’s such a great sport without being like intensive exercise.”
Accessibility
The tournament is set for 22-23 February 2025, hosted by Time Square at Africa Padel Brooklyn, in Pretoria.
Those who wish to watch the tournament are encouraged to register, and the entrance is free for all—Gangiah did this to encourage accessibility to the sport.
She acknowledges that padel is not a cheap sport to participate in. As a new, growing sport, pedal is quite expensive to get into, and it’s an expensive sport to play.
“However, because it’s so new in South Africa, it has the ability to lend into the younger generation. So we could find an amazing pedal star that might not come from the best background, and that’s what I want to do with it,” Gangiah said.
“Because we’re getting these celebrities and people who have influence to bring the right people to the table, we can create a way that a youngster can come watch pedal, fall in love with it, and then we could find a partnership.”
Celebrities who confirmed participation include former Proteas batsman Ashwell Prince and rugby players Schalk Brits and Rudy Paige. Gangiah says that she picked people she knows who love the sport.
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