150 participants, 75 pairs playing non-stop on 9 modern courts. The CUPRA PADLOWE competition attracted stars from the worlds of sports, media and show business who had never had the chance or opportunity to meet in a sports competition before.
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Press / Marcin Soto / PADL CUPRA / Photo. Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
– This is a very unique event – says Tomasz Smokowski, the founder of the event. – Where else can tennis great Jerzy Janowicz, athlete Marek Plawgo, screen star Maciek Dowbor and singer Klaudia Marzec meet on the same court? And everyone is doing well and having a good time – smiles Tomasz Smokowski, football analyst, co-founder of the Sports Center, but last weekend, above all, the founder of the tournament. CUPRA PADLOWE 2024.
A smile accompanied everyone who visited the InterPadel Warsaw center on Saturday, February 3. The hall was bursting at the seams all day. It is difficult to meet so many people from the world of sports, media, culture and show business during another event like this. Fans and participants of the competition can admire in performance, among others: the best former Polish tennis players Agnieszka Radwańska and Jerzy Janowicz.
– I like padel because it is a very social sport. Playing with four people, you can have a good time. But padel is also quite a challenge. You have to be constantly moving, alert, and at the same time think hard about playing the ball skillfully on the other side of the net. I think this is the secret of the success of this game and the competition PADDLE CUPRA – emphasizes Agnieszka Radwańska, winner of the Wimbledon final in 2012.
Affiliate material. Source: CUPRA PADLOWE
Athletes love to play padel
They also tried their hand at the paddle court, among others: there were the best volleyball players led by Łukasz Kadziewicz and Zbigniew Bartman, the first Pole in the NBA league Cezary Trybański, the winner of many medals in swimming Paweł Korzeniowski and the cyclist Tomasz Marczyński .
However, the largest group – apart from the media representatives – were footballers. The football community loved padel. On all sides. Because it is a pair created by Marcin Żewłakow and Tomasz Kłos, who won this year’s competition, and lost in the final after a tough match (6:4, 7:6) two journalists Maciej Zaręba (CANAL+) – Sebastian Królikowski (TVP) .
– This is the first time in my life when I personally won something. I will keep the award in a place of honor, because until now I don’t have any statue at home – laughed Marcin Żewłakow, who scored a goal for Poland during the 2002 World Cup.
Affiliate material. Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
A game for everyone
Padel is currently the most developed sport in Europe. The popularity of padel in Poland is largely due to Tomasz Smokowski, who has been promoting it in our country for many years.
– Five years ago, Robert Podolinski and I agreed to play badminton with Bartek Ignacik and “Smoke”. However, they took us to the first padel court in Warsaw and showed us a completely different discipline. We loved padel from the beginning – admits Leszek Ojrzyński, former coach of, among others, Korona Kielce and Arka Gdynia.
– Without unnecessary humility, I can say that I am proud that we have been able to bring the tournament to the point where people come to me and say: Damn, Dragon, it looks like the Grand Slam of tennis! We have a great participation, many stars. I don’t think anyone declined the invitation. If it continues like this, I will soon give up, because we will not fit in, Smokowski is happy.
Affiliate material. Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
So what is the secret to success?
– In padel, unlike, for example, tennis, we have a lower entry threshold. This means that you don’t need advanced skills to pick up a racket and have a lot of fun on the court. This means that more and more people start their journey with this discipline – says Marcin Maszczyk, coach and Polish representative in padel.
Padel has elements and rules known from tennis and squash. The game involves hitting the ball to the opponent’s side using a racket, the front of which is usually made of foam or EVA. Each team can kick the ball on their side of the field only once. It is worth emphasizing that padel is played with “walls”, i.e. the glass surrounding the court, which can be used to score points.
– Actually anyone can play padel. It is no coincidence that in Majorca, the island where the great Rafael Nadal was born, today there are more padel courts than tennis courts – adds Tomasz Smokowski.
Affiliate material. Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
Big brands that were present at the competition
Spain is the padel mecca of the world. It is therefore not surprising that the Barcelona car brand CUPRA has long been involved in the development of this profession. This year, the Spanish company became the title sponsor of the PADLOWE tournament.
– The feel and dynamics of the padel are similar to the intensity and dynamics of the CUPRA brand. And we talk about the nature of our customers and cars. For our brand, it is an important part of development. I am happy that now we can also support padel in Poland – emphasizes Daria Zielaskiewicz, Director of the CUPRA and SEAT brands.
Each participant could test professional padel equipment during the competition.
– Today, padel is one of the most important professions in our portfolio. Therefore, we could not miss the biggest padel event in Poland. It is not only a sports competition, but also a good way to spend your free time – says Magdalena Wojdyło, marketing manager of HEAD Polska.
This year, Superbet, the fastest growing bookmaker on the Polish market, also became a sponsor of CUPRA PADLOWE 2024.
Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
– We are happy to support professions that are starting to enter the so-called mainstream and are becoming more and more popular. This was the case with futsal, darts and chess. And so it is with padel now. CUPRA PADLOWE fits perfectly into our philosophy – says Paweł Kozioł, Chief Marketing Specialist at Superbet.
During the event, you can predict the winners of the competition. And in the Superbet zone, participants can support the Polish Olympic Committee Foundation. There was a dart board waiting for those interested, and the total points earned were translated into PLN for financial support to the Foundation.
– While at the competition, we wanted to take advantage of the presence of many famous people and encourage them to help together. It’s an Olympic year, a time of great demand for Paralympic athletes. Such support will certainly help them fight for a medal in Paris, adds the composer’s representative.
Affiliate material. Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
The Zdrowy Ruch Foundation will support young cyclists
The CUPRA PADLOWE 2024 tournament, apart from the sports competition, also had an important charitable dimension. During the decoration party organized in the PaTaThai restaurant, there was also a charity auction, all proceeds of which will be donated to the “PADLOWE” Scholarship Program of the Zdrowy Ruch Foundation, run by Ada and Tomek Smokowski. Its purpose is to support the professional development of young Polish skaters. The auctioned items include: rackets with pictures of the world’s best rowers: Ariana Sanchez and Fernando Belasteguin. We managed to collect 36 thousand zlotys.
– In order for padel to continue to grow strongly, we need grassroots and grassroots work. I am glad that more and more children in Poland are interested in this sport. About 50-60 children study in my college every day. The youngest is 5 years old. I hope that the PADLOWE Scholarship Program will help in the greater popularity and specialization of this profession, says Marcin Maszczyk.
– There are many indications that padel will be an Olympic discipline at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. I dream that the Poles will not only play there, but also fight for medals. I hope that our support will help you compete with the best in the world. We want the funds collected to enable them, among other things, to: go to camp in Spain and participate in prestigious competitions – announces Tomasz Smokowski.
Affiliate material. Photo Marcin Soto / PADDLE CUPRA
The CUPRA PADLOWE 2024 tournament took place on February 3, 2024 at the InterPadel courts in Warsaw. The main sponsor of the event is the Barcelona CUPRA brand. Sponsors of the event are: Superbet, Lech Free, Head, Restauracja PaTaThai, InterPadel, PASO XL and TAMEX Objecty Sportowe SA Partners of the event are Wirtualna Polska, Kanal Sportowy and TVP Sport. The organizer of the event is the agency Sportfolio. Are you interested in padel? Follow @kikombe.padlowe
The report from the tournament can be viewed here:
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