Two sisters from Parys have just proven anyone can make a success of something, especially if they put their mind to it, after opening the first padel courts in the Free State town – Hello, Padel. 

Enthusiasts no longer need to travel far to play the sport after the opening of the courts on the Parys Golf & Country Estate. They boast a view of the 18th hole and beyond that, the Vaal River.

The double courts were officially opened on Saturday (7/9) by the sisters who stay on the estate. “We spend most of our time here, and we usually play padel in Joburg, so we thought what a great addition it would be for the Parys community and the estate,” said co-owner Aimee Miller.

Hello Padel – courts on the Parys Golf & Country Estate. Photo supplied

“Padel is an accessible sport for children and adults; it’s quite a simple concept. For beginners, we have people who know the rules and can assist. For a professional level soon, we consider having coaching clinics, tournaments, and leagues or having coaches at the courts.”

Business Tech reports padel is a fast-growing sport in South Africa, leading to the establishment of hundreds of courts nationwide since the first one’s completion in late 2020.

While the sport has a similar scoring system to tennis, its rules, courts, and racquets differ substantially. The courts are enclosed and gameplay allows for the ball to be played off them. The racquets, meanwhile, are solid and stringless.

The solid stringless racquet used to play padel. Photo supplied

For a successful court, accessibility, security, general atmosphere, existing amenities, or space for the development of new ones – including restaurants, toilets, showers, saunas, and children’s play areas – must be considered, said Padel Building Company’s general manager, Roger Barrow.

Building a court costs from R600,000 to R1 million, excluding the land and including civil engineering, and steel erection. “One of the biggest unforeseen costs is that of glass and steel. As it stands, the majority of the courts in the country are plug-and-play solutions from China.”

Miller said it’s an “absolute privilege” that she and her sister “get to do this together and that we are women in a male-dominated space, but it is all about staying focused, not forgetting the end goal, and believing that you actually can do it no matter who or what you are and come from.”

Co-owners of the Parys padel courts, sisters Claire Wood and Aimee Miller. Photo supplied

The Parys courts were built by Tau Pelo, who was responsible for building more than 100 padel courts nationwide, including the courts at Sun International.

Players can book the Parys padel courts online on the Playtomic app and the courts will be open Mondays to Sundays from 07:00 to 19:00.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg/mvh