A fast-growing game in Ottawa has a new home, as the first indoor padel club opened its doors on Saturday. ‘Padel and Friends’ is located at 1101 Polytek St. in Ottawa’s east end, co-owned by Ottawa Senators assistant coach and NHL Hall of Fame member Daniel Alfredsson. Padel is described as tennis meets squash. Secora Mighty-Johnson is trying it out for the first time on the new court “It’s really exhilarating,” Mighty-Johnson says. “It’s like quick thinking. You have to run forward and backwards. Do I have to turn around and get the ball from behind me? So just all these little moments.” “It’s fast paced, but in like a really fun way,” she says. Popular around the world, especially places like Spain, Ottawa now has it’s very first indoor facility. Alfredsson says he fell in love with the sport back in Sweden. “There are so many decisions to be made and you’re always challenged and that’s just so stimulating,” Alfredsson says of the game. He says he loves the game for many reasons, but a big reason is that it’s accessible. “Seeing my wife, my kids how much they like it,” he explains. “Anybody can play this - male, female, kids, older people. And it’s a very social sport as well.” Padel follows the same scoring as tennis, but its differences include a smaller racket. The game is played with doubles, and players can also use the walls, unlike tennis. The new club has three indoor courts for games and tournaments. It’s owned by Alfredsson, along with his brother Henric Alfredsson and friend Hans Molin. Molin says this is a five-year dream in the making for them. “We wanted to do this as a club where you don’t need a membership, it has to be open for everyone, all levels of play,” he explains. “Just be very open, very welcoming.” To rent a court costs $24 per person for an hour, and four people play on each court. Padel Director Jorge Vila says there are opportunities for all abilities to join and those who are new to the game can be paired up with people at their skill level. He agreed they wanted it to be a place people connect. “People can actually come and hang out,” he says. “Sit down after the match or before the match, talk to their friends, make more friends, connect with people.”
