While club and bar patrons found their rhythm on the dance floors of Cape Town’s busiest party hub, some of the finest Padel players in the Mother City showcased their fancy footwork just a few blocks away at the chic Racket and Ball Club in Bree Street on Friday.
Competing in one of the fastest-growing Padel competitions in the country, athletes helped usher in a new era for sporting charity Padel4Good, which not only rolled out its first event of the year but also celebrated its new “home” after hosting 23 successful events in Paarden Eiland for the last two years.
Last night, at once upon a time Independent Media’s parking garage, 32 men—rated between levels 2.5 and 5 on the PlayTomic App—took to the beautiful Racket and Ball Club courts, vying for honors and top prizes in a competition that aims to empower women and children, previously exposed to abuse and poverty across the Western Cape.
The competition format saw four groups of four teams competing in each group, with each pool match consisting of a set.
From there, the top two teams from each group went through to the top draw (Championship), while the bottom two teams qualified for the bottom draw (Plate), which eventually decided the semi- and finalists of the respective divisions on the night.
In the end, Carl Rickens and Raoul Hasselerham walked away as overall champions of the night, after beating worthy opponents Michael Brits and Igmar Wentzel 6-3 in the Championship final after an intense match that saw both teams showcase their best shot artillery.
For Rickens, it was an experience of note, competing in his first Padel4Good tournament and a moment that he will hold dear.
“What a super experience. I must say, this is a very well-organized event. It was nice having such a cool crowd here in support, too,” said Rickens.
“What stood out for me as well was the mixture of social and high-level players, all coming together in the name of doing good and being able to contribute,” said Rickens who has been playing Padel for three years after giving up tennis.
Much has been made of the Racket and Ball Club and visiting the venue for the first time after coming to fetch pool cars at this very warehouse as an intern working for the Cape Argus more than 13 years ago, one can understand why this location is rated by many as the go-to Padel venue in Cape Town, considering its top-class courts, impressive facilities and vibey atmosphere.
“This is the go-to spot, and I would love to compete in more Padel4Good competitions here, it was worthwhile,” added Rickens.
After opening in December 2023, Racket and Ball has quickly established itself as a prime spot for Padel enthusiasts with a healthy community of up to 3000 players monthly.
Padel4Good will return to the Racket and Ball club in two weeks, this will be just one of two exciting events in March as the Aston Martin R275 000 cash tournament sponsored by PokerBet will be rolled-out here, too.
@juliankiewietz
