Fans of padel are hoping the sport will catch on in Calgary. The Alberta Padel Association was encouraging Calgary kids to try it out Saturday through fun demonstrations and mini-games. Organizers describe padel as a mix between tennis and squash that’s quickly becoming a family favourite game. According to Karla Lima, Padel was started by a man in Acupulco tired of chasing after tennis balls. “He was playing tennis and all the balls were going everywhere,” said Lima, the juniors director of Padel Alberta. “So he’s like, okay, let’s put some walls (around the court) -- and so that’s the difference.” “Padel, as you can see, it’s like a smaller tennis court with glass walls around,” Lima added, “so you can use the bounce of the ball in the glass walls, and it’s a mix of tennis and squash, and you count as the same than in tennis -- but some people compare it as tennis is checkers and padel as playing chess.” “You really need to think what is the next play before you play your actual point,” she added. Saturday’s event was for juniors between six and 17 but Lima says it’s growing in popularity among all age groups. “It’s a social game,” she said. “You play doubles so there’s a lot of socializing around it, so that’s what gets people at the beginning because again, as I say, you get addicted to play padel.” Organizers say it’s played on a smaller court so it can be good for people worried about injuries since they don’t have to run a lot like in tennis. For more about padel in Alberta, go here. With files from CTV News’ Darren Wright
