UK Sports
In this series on UK padel's gender divide, Empower Padel founder Pepita Stonor shares her journey from noticing the lack of women in 2020 to building a 2,500-strong female community, urging parents and families to help balance participation amid LTA data showing just 30% female players.
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As covered in our ongoing series, padel’s rapid UK expansion continues to reveal a stark gender divide, with women and girls at just 30% of players. On International Women’s Day, the LTA and FIP pledged new initiatives to boost female participation amid upcoming data releases.
The Sport Industry Group has launched the first Sport Industry Padel Cup, scheduled for April at Rocket Padel. The event coincides with the week before the 25th anniversary of the Sport Industry Awards, featuring mixed-gender teams from the sports industry. It aims to foster networking and competition in the growing sport of padel.
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Two innovative padel facilities are set to transform disused aircraft hangars into sports venues in the UK. Padel Tree plans a six-court club at Fairoaks Airport in Surrey, opening in March, while Mellors Group aims to create an eight-court site at Hucknall Aerodrome in Nottinghamshire. These projects highlight the growing popularity of padel in unique, historic settings.