A six-team padel league has been launched in South Africa, inviting participants of any skill level. Within this tournament, called the Nabob Cup, players, regardless of their abilities, are distributed into teams for the first season.
Three of the six teams have already been announced: H&M Aces, Nabob Lions, and Your Solar SA Sharks; the remaining teams will be presented later. Co-founder Marco Da Costa Dias noted that the goal of the initiative was to bring club-level players up to the same level as stronger athletes.
Da Costa Dias emphasized that the main focus is on providing an opportunity for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players to participate in a significant event. He explained that the league was conceived not only as a competitive arena but also as a platform for networking and socializing, allowing players to meet outside their usual social circles.
He also stated that the Nabob Cup offers a unique experience around this sport, asserting that 'the Nabob Cup is a place where innovation takes padel to a new level.'
This competitive tournament was created by Nabob Media to celebrate its TikTok account reaching 250,000 followers. Nabob Media CEO Zarif Minti reported that the tournament targets players who have not been covered by existing padel structures and aims to showcase South Africa's hidden talents while fostering community building.
Padel, which is a doubles sport played on a closed court with a solid racket, has become the fastest-growing racket sport in South Africa over the past five years. Africa Padel opened its first club in Camps Bay in 2021 and currently manages 19 clubs located in cities such as Johannesburg, Durban, Bloemfontein, Gqeberha, and Plettenberg Bay.
The cost of playing is approximately 400 Rand per hour at most clubs, which is roughly equivalent to 100 Rand per player. Clubs provide rackets for those who do not bring their own equipment. In July, the country hosted its first Premier Padel P1 tournament at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, which featured a prize fund of about 10 million Rands and included 33 South Africans in the draw.