Renowned Spanish player to take padel to new heights in SA

Lahoz, a winner of two world championship titles and generally regarded as the greatest padel player to date, arrives in SA on February 6.

He will host several coaching clinics for corporates, individuals, and groups countrywide for the next 12 months.

Part of Lahoz’s tenure in SA will be identifying and developing underprivileged players with talent.

Steve Brookes, the CEO of Balwin, commented, “Padel is a sport that connects people more than any other. It is, therefore, an ideal addition to our family-orientated lifestyle estates.

“Highly skilled players can compete with beginners, and it’s a great sport to watch. Having Willy share his experience and knowledge could be the catalyst for padel in SA to rise to the next level by coaching experienced players and beginners and introducing more youth as part of growing talent in the country.”

In promoting the sport further, Lahoz will pair with Cape Town-based and SA’s number one padel player, Jason Blakey-Milner, to participate in exhibition and celebrity matches.

“Padel is a strategic game, so it requires coaching. Lahoz, who works with some of the world’s top players, is excellently positioned to grow the Balwin Padel brand and unleash new talent,” said Sebastian Brokmann, the chief of padel at Balwin Padel.

According to Brokmann, SA has 400 padel courts with the potential to grow to about 2 500. Coaching clinics will be held across SA at select Balwin lifestyle estates, where interested players and residents can interact with Lahoz.

These include Izinga Smart City in Durban, Munyaka at Waterfall City, Thaba Eco Estate south of Johannesburg, Mooikloof in Pretoria, and more.

Balwin Padel launched in 2023 and aims to promote a healthier lifestyle among its clients, staff, and all South Africans.

For 2024, Balwin Padel has increased the prize money of its annual padel tournament from R375 000 to R1m. It will take place at the iconic Thaba Eco Estate, sporting state-of-the-art lifestyle facilities also available to the public on a membership basis.

The tournament dates will be confirmed at a later stage.

Padel, a mixture of tennis, squash, and badminton, originated in Mexico in the 1960s. Today, it is the fastest-growing sport globally, with more than 25 million players in over 90 countries, according to Padelathletes.com.

Padel is the second-most popular sport in Spain after football, with six million players. Lahoz, who runs a padel academy in Spain where he coaches professional players, led the Spanish national team to victory at the world championships in 1998 and 2010. The Royal Spanish Padel Federation awarded him a silver medal for sporting merit.

For more information, visit www.balwin.co.za