One of South Africa’s leading padel sports brands will return this weekend at the Virgin Active Padel Centre in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town.
Tomorrow will see sporting charity Padel4Good launch their first elite men’s tournament, and judging by the record time in which the event sold out, high-level padellists from across the country are keen on testing their mettle against the best there is on the circuit.
This weekend’s show – which was sold out in two hours and three minutes – will cater for 28 athletes rated between 2.5 and five on the PlayTomic App, marking the brand’s most competitive event after a high-octane mixed tournament last month that had supporters, fellow athletes and officials on the edge of their seats as contestants produced one of the best Padel4Good shows since its inception last year.
In the end, Luke Potter and Taryn Nel mustered up a valiant effort to overcome the dangerous Tristan Karakashian and Genevieve Korsten, who could have easily walked away with the first prize after dominating their opponents in the round robin and knockout stages with some incredible athleticism and shot selection.
Padel4Good has not only been a great platform for padel enthusiasts to hone their skills and enjoy the fast-paced game combining tennis, squash and racquet-ball, but it also plays a huge role in the upliftment of women and children across the Western Cape through its stakeholders.
All proceeds (ticket sales or sponsorships) from every show are used to uplift a home or organisation in need as the brand aims to fight femicide and child and women abuse in South Africa.
For this weekend’s event, Padel4Good has identified the CupCakes for Hope organisation as the beneficiary, with a focus on a brave 6-year-old boy named Stehan.
Ronél Steyn, an ambassador for Cupcakes for Hope and a recent Olympic torch-bearer, is on a mission to rally support and raise R600 000 for Stehan’s critical cancer treatment after he was diagnosed with leukaemia earlier this year.
Dubbed the #6KforStehan Fundraiser, the aim is to inspire 6 000 people to not only make an R100 donation, but also to get up and be active for 6km, whether it is by walking, running, swimming or spending 6 000 seconds in the gym or on a trampoline.
* For more information, follow the Padel4Good Instagram page.