Game, Set, Padel: Our First BID Company Tournament

On Wednesday 9 September, we held our very first Padel Tournament for BID companies at Padel Social Club in Paddington, bringing together 30 individuals from eight different businesses for an evening of friendly competition.

Padel has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing sports in recent years, thanks to its fun, easy-to-learn rules, sociable format and accessibility for a wide range of ages and abilities. With Padel Social Club now open in Paddington, our BID companies had the perfect chance to get on court and try it for themselves.

Padel Social Club opened its four Paddington courts, two outdoor and two indoor, in July, bringing the sport right to our doorstep. We wanted to make the most of this opportunity by bringing together as many of our BID companies as possible, giving everyone, regardless of their experience level, the chance to try this exciting new facility. The event provided an opportunity to play alongside colleagues, build new connections with professionals from neighbouring businesses, and experience one of the fastest-growing sports in a fun and social environment.

Blessed with great weather, we welcomed a wide range of players, from absolute beginners to advanced padel players, for an evening designed to get everyone on court as much as possible. The tournament began with 11 rounds of 10-minute matches, mixing up pairings and opponents throughout the evening, before an intense knockout round crowned the winners.

Congratulations to the Premier League duo, who fought hard for a much-deserved victory.

Well done to the runners-up from Vodafone and Microsoft, and to everyone who took part from Equinor, Microsoft, Premier League, Sony, Tapestry, Trend Micro and Vodafone.

A huge thank you to Padel Social Club for helping to organise, set up and run the tournament, and to the brilliant coaches who guided the evening, shared tips with those new to the sport and made sure everyone had as much time on court as possible.