Abuja:The Nigeria Padel Federation (NPF) has announced a comprehensive plan to expand grassroots participation, establish training academies, and attract investment to enhance opportunities for young Nigerians in the sport of padel.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, padel is a high-energy racket sport that merges elements of tennis and squash, usually played in doubles on an enclosed court. The newly inaugurated President of the federation, Babajimi Benson, outlined the initiative to increase participation, develop local talent, and create pathways for Nigerian players to compete on an international level.
Benson made these comments following the National Sports Commission’s inauguration of the boards of four sports federations at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. He emphasized that the federation plans to grow the number of players, clubs, and courts while expanding the sport’s reach beyond Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt to other regions of the country.
He encouraged schools, universities, corporate organizations, and local communities to embrace padel to strengthen grassroots participation and make the sport more accessible. Benson, who also serves as the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, stressed the importance of Nigeria participating in padel’s global growth to develop its sporting talent.
Benson further stated that the federation would establish development pathways for junior players, women, girls, and high-performance athletes while investing in training for coaches, referees, and tournament officials. The goal is to have young players progress from learning the game to competing in tournaments, earning national rankings, and ultimately representing Nigeria internationally.
The federation also aims to position Nigeria as a prime location for major padel competitions, which would attract investment and create business opportunities within the sports industry. Achieving these objectives will require effective governance, technology, reliable data, strategic partnerships, and a sustainable commercial model to attract sponsors and private investors.
Benson highlighted that sport cannot thrive on enthusiasm alone and emphasized the need for strong governance, technology, reliable data, partnerships, and a sustainable commercial model. Alongside the NPF, the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Nigeria Arm Wrestling Federation, and Nigeria Fencing Federation were also inaugurated.