Padel is a popular sport in Egypt these days, especially among youth and teens.
This is a racquet sport that combines the best and most enjoyable components of the other racquet sports, such as tennis, squash and racquet ball.
It can be played both indoors and outdoors. So, padeleurs can shield themselves against bad or cold weather in the inclusion of indoor courts.
This is why some Egyptians find padel a convenient sport. Youssef el-Debakey, 23, is one of them.
El-Debakey became addicted to this sport a few years ago.
He and his friends play it most frequently and it costs them nothing more than 300 Egyptian pounds (roughly $15) an hour.
“It is real fun,” he told the Egyptian Mail. “I find it exciting and a distinct activity to carry out in my spare time with my friends.”
He believes this sport does a lot to improve his physical fitness.
“It also helps me improve at the social level and make me cleverer and more determined as an individual.”
Padel courts are slightly similar to those of tennis, but noticeably smaller. Padle courtsare approximately one-third the size of tennis courts. They are usually enclosed with a wire mesh on the sides. There are also sometimes glass walls at either ends of the courts. Padel is usually played by four players divided into two teams.
Padel courts have become ubiquitous in Egypt, with almost all sports and social clubs containing courts for padel.
Those with no membership in the club can rent the court for between 250 and 400 pounds an hour, depending on the place of the court.
In May this year, the Ministry of Youth and Sports officially launched the Egyptian Padel Federation, for the first time.
Egypt will host the Premier Padel Championship, a grand prix padel tennis tournament, between October 24 and 30. The competition will be supervised by the International Federation of Padel.
Previous editions of the tournament were held in Spain, France, Italy, Mexico and Qatar.
Scoring in Padel is exactly the same as in tennis. The points go up as follows: 15, 30, 40 and game. Should there be a tie on 40 – 40, then this is called deuce and the winner is the first player to lead by two clear points.
Padel games are best played in three sets, each of which consisting of six games.
To win a set, a pairing should win six games with two clear games. If the score gets to 6-6, a tiebreak is played in which the winner is the first side to get to seven points with two clear points.
If the game continues to be tied, then another tiebreak is played, in which the first side to have a two game lead is declared the winner. The first pair to win two sets is declared the winner.
El-Debakey expressed hopes that all Egyptians would play padel.
“It plays a substantial role in improving physical fitness, cardiovascular endurance and mental health,” he said. “It is completely suitable for all ages.”
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