UAE shifts focus to junior padel development programme to elevate the game

Gulf News

Padel has made giant strides from its infancy in the last decade leaving a huge footprint in country. However, the UAE padel is now aiming to go to the next level with focus on juniors development programme while also looking at improving the standards of the game in the region.  Read the full story: https://gulfnews.com/sport/uae-shifts-focus-on-junior-padel-development-programme-to-take-game-higher-1.98353337  Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV  See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km  #UAEnews #padel #sports

Transcript

00:00We started with maybe five, six national teams.

00:02Now we have almost 11 national teams competing here in Dubai.

00:08We started the Arab Federation beginning of this year

00:11with the presidency of His Highness Sheikh Saeed Maktoum Al Maktoum.

00:14Our main objective is to have as many Arab countries playing and enjoying padel.

00:19We started with maybe five, six national teams.

00:22Now we have almost 11 national teams competing here in Dubai.

00:25We are excited to see their level.

00:27We haven't seen them before because most of them haven't played as a national team.

00:31So for us it's very important and for the players to compete and enjoy their stay in Dubai.

00:37It's very simple. There is a fact sheet.

00:40There are two groups. Group of five, group of six.

00:43The top two will qualify to the semi-finals.

00:45Top of group A will play second of group B.

00:47Top of group B will play second of two.

00:50The third of each group will play against each other.

00:52The fourth and the fourth will play against each other.

00:55The fifth and sixth will play in a mini-group.

00:58So by the end of the tournament we'll have from number one to number 11.

01:01Number 11.

01:02To have an official ranking. Exactly.

01:03That's how the international federation goes.

01:06Now we know we have those national teams as the main national teams are competing.

01:12The juniors are our main strategic focus.

01:18Having the juniors will keep the game alive.

01:20There are schools, we're being close with the academies, the private academies.

01:24We have at NAS Sports Council our main strategic partner, Juniors Academy.

01:30Personally, I started the game 10 years ago.

01:33I wouldn't imagine that the game would reach on such level.

01:37Seeing that most of the top influencers, top of the triangle, let's say,

01:42are pushing and playing Padel in Delhi,

01:45supports the coming people who are interested and curious to start the game.

01:51The game is very simple.

01:52It doesn't need marketing, it doesn't need to push.

01:55Once you start it for the first time, you love the game.

01:57Because it's very easy, very enjoyable.

01:59You can use it as competitive or your daily cardio, as I mentioned.

02:03The Olympics for me is a main objective, but the Olympics happen every four years.

02:08For the players' perspective, the chances of him playing the Olympics is one or two times.

02:14Correct.

02:14Today having more supportive tournaments from the international federation,

02:18like the World Cup, like the Asian Cup, like the Arab Cup,

02:21keep the player motivated to play.

02:22But once the player has a tournament in the next four years,

02:25I personally think it's amazing,

02:27but as an objective, it needs to be more ongoing tournaments.

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