3 weeks ago
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February 17, 2025 | 12:00am
The story of padel in the Philippines is a story of doing things the right way. Despite being born out of the stress of the pandemic, since 2021, growth has been a constant flow of positives for the Philippine Padel Association under its president, Alenna Dawn. It all began when her partner, Fredrik Lonnqvist, was stranded in Europe at the onset of COVID-19. He saw how big padel was in countries like Spain and Argentina, and the two decided to bring the sport to the Philippines.
“It’s a very easy sport to learn; so the barrier to entry is very low,” she said in an interview with The STAR and dwAN 1206 AM. “Though we started out with former tennis players, everyone from four years old to people in their 70s are now playing it. It’s easy to learn, but becomes a lifelong addiction.”
A doubles sport combining tennis and squash, you can play at your own level, and join tournaments where you are comfortable. Philippine padel has grown into a supportive, social community. Groups of friends and family members have been trying the sport in Manila Padel Association’s two courts in BGC and Mandaluyong. On March 1, a third court will formally be opened at Eaton Centris along EDSA. The fourth is under development at Arcovia City. Multiple real estate developers are likewise offering to build courts on their sites for patrons. Eventually, it will be a source of sports tourism, as well. Dawn and her team are doing their best to ensure that the sport has a lasting appeal, and won’t be just another fad.
“We’ve built relations with the FIP (International Padel Federation), and the federation in Saudi Arabia, which want to partner with us in providing accredited coaches,” says the former Mapua taekwondo athlete. “Other federations that have been around for more than 10 years are surprised that our players have gotten so good right away. They ask me what we’ve been feeding them. But I think it’s just the natural ability of Filipinos to adapt.”
The just-concluded national championships are preview of all the great things to come in Philippine paddle. The association has a grassroots development program being put into place, and is hoping to get Filipino athletes into the world rankings by next year. So far, things have been moving faster than planned. Amazingly enough, the Philippine Padel Association is also at the forefront of the sport’s development in Asia. Though it’s only less than four years old, our national team is already capable of beating almost everyone else in Asia with the exception of Japan. For now.
With with the consistent Herculean effort, great connections, and cooperative nature of the sport, there is no doubt that Dawn and company will turn the Philippines into a global powerhouse in padel. No politics, no drama, no egos. Just pure, hard work, integrity, and selfless desire to see everyone succeed.
