Thanks to international sports brand Decathlon and UK-based padel operator Soul Padel, the hottest sport in the world will be heading to Glasgow this summer.
The pair is inviting everyone to grab a racket and find out why padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world with over 25 million players by hosting the first-ever “summer padel festival” at Decathlon’s Braehead store. Padel is already popular in the UK with over 100,000 players.
As a result of Soul Padel and Decathlon’s partnership, two pop-up padel courts will be accessible to the general public from Monday, June 3 through Wednesday, August 31.
Soul Padel hopes to introduce this enjoyable sport to nearby communities and fitness enthusiasts through a variety of events and coaching clinics at the summer festival.
Posing similarities to both squash and tennis, pédal is a simple game that anyone can pick up and begin playing quickly.
Decathlon’s own padel brand, Kuikma, will sponsor the padel festival. Products for novices to elite athletes will be on display, and equipment for those who wish to “try before they buy” will be available for purchase or rental.
Highlights will comprise of beginner padel clinics conducted by qualified coaches, kid-focused sessions held during school breaks, and designated “women-only” sessions.
“We are really happy to be taking padel into the heart of the city for the first time,” stated Soul Padel founder and CEO Mark Hewlett. “This is an incredible opportunity to bring padel to Glasgow.”
We are incredibly happy to be working with Decathlon, a highly regarded sports brand on a global scale, in the upcoming months.
Our goal for the next three months is to organize a padel summer festival that will spread awareness of this fantastic sport and inspire others to become padel enthusiasts. Many other projects are in the works, which we will announce as soon as they are complete.
Decathlon is celebrating its 25th anniversary in the UK in 2024, and with this new partnership with Soul Padel, the company will proudly carry on its heritage of inspiring people through sports.
“At Decathlon, we’re passionate about making sports accessible to everyone,” stated Federico Fraguela, UK commercial leader for Running & Rackets Sports. We can reach a wider audience and expose padel to new people by collaborating with Soul Padel. We are eager to sponsor these events and assist more people in feeling prepared to play this summer because we share the same ideals of community and inclusivity.
The courts’ installation will soon begin. Atte Suominen, founder and CEO of PADEL1969, continued, “We are excited about this exciting new chapter for PADEL. We take great pride in offering our ONE COURT FOR LIFE® by PADEL1969, which combines premium padel courts with exceptional quality and performance. Our mission to disseminate the “Joy of Padel” is in line with the summer padel pop-ups with Soul Padel and Decathlon.
Businesses are being invited to be a part of this new project, as Soul Padel anticipates the festival being immensely popular.
It offers a variety of sponsorship options, such as court sponsorships, activation partnerships, supporting partnerships, presenting partnerships, and sampling. Aimee Lawson can be reached at [email protected] for additional information about the opportunities.
