By Llywellenie Mpasa:
The inaugural First Capital Bank (FCB) Padel Cup concluded in style at Hashtag Fitness Centre in Blantyre City, crowning the country’s first-ever padel champions.
The men’s title was won by the pair of Yusuf Bhura and Shezy Nathanie, who beat Talha Bhura and Arshad Patel in the final.
In the women’s category, Aisha Jussab and Shaheena Omar emerged champions after defeating Sherbanu Baiyat and Shalu Shah, who finished second.
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Both champions and runners-up have earned the opportunity to represent Malawi at a regional padel competition scheduled to take place in Botswana later this year.
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The winners will compete against champions from FCB Padel tournaments in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Padel, which is a fast-growing sport combining elements of tennis and squash, attracted more than 90 doubles teams from across the country.
Hashtag Fitness Centre Chief Executive Officer Ismail Seedat said the tournament provided a platform for players to showcase their talent while promoting the fast-growing sport among participants and fans.
Seedat said plans were underway to take padel beyond urban centres and introduce it to those at grassroots level to broaden participation nationwide.
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“We want padel to grow beyond the cities. Our vision is to see the sport being played in schools and communities in both urban and rural areas so that talent can be discovered early,” he said.
He added that partnerships with schools, sports associations and local authorities would be key to rolling out the programme.
FCB Group Head of Retail and Products Bhavya Shah said the tournament formed part of the bank’s initiative to support the development of padel in Malawi.
Speaking at the final in Blantyre, Shah said FCB invested K40 million in sponsorship.
“The tournament formed part of FCB’s efforts to support sports development and create opportunities for athletes to compete and fans to enjoy watching their favourite sport,” he said.
