On Thursday, October 6, the first Padel Court in Kenya and East Africa at the Jaffery Sports Club, Nairobi.
The court that has been open for the last three months was officially unveiled to the public.
Calleb Karegyesa, the owner of Playon Padel Kenya, is the sports enthusiast behind establishing the first Padel court in Kenya and East Africa.
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Karegyesa played the game in the middle east before returning to Kenya and is now playing three to four times weekly.
According to the 33-year-old, they have received a lot of interest from the players in the last three months.
“The sport is for all age groups, we have kids training academies from as young as five years, we have players here who are in their 60s, and they all are having a lot of fun on the court.
“All fitness levels, all ages, are welcomed to try Padel. Once you pick up the racket, it's difficult to put it down again,” Karegyesa stated.
He added that the construction of the court was challenging as it started at a time when the nation was hit by the pandemic.
“The structure took quite a bit of time when we began as we were going through the pandemic, so we faced a lot of delays, but overall, it was fairly inexpensive,” he added.
The 33-year-old noted that as a company, they are investing a lot in sports facilities in Nairobi and outside the city.
Bringing in technical experts and brands to help take the Padel game to more people in the country is top of their priority.
Karegyesa added that interested athletes ought to wear comfortable sportswear and have an attitude to learning.
“I can promise you two or three lessons, you will be able to have fun on the court. No membership is required as Jeffery Sports Club is open to the public. You just need to be about four players. There is a fee to book the court, and the equipment being used is for hire at the moment.
Karegyesa is looking into partnering with other federations in Kenya, the ministry and the government to support pushing the Padel game.
“I think healthy living is very important as we saw during the pandemic, so for people to keep fit in a nice fun and social environment Padel is a sport to join,” Calleb added.
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