A KEEN group of padel tennis players are hoping to bring the sport to East Lothian – and there are hopes for two all-weather courts in the county.
Quickly growing in popularity across the UK, padel tennis is a racket ball sport which is often described as a mix between standard tennis and squash.
Six dedicated players from across the county decided to set up a not-for-profit community group three months ago as they plan to bring the sport closer to home.
Games are usually played with two team members on each side, on an enclosed court with glass and metal walls, similar in layout to a tennis court but roughly 25 per cent smaller. Like in squash, balls can also be played off the walls.
Peter Wood, a member of the new East Lothian Padel Club working to get the project off the ground, said: “We're very optimistic this is going to happen – there's significant demand for it.
"At the moment, you have to travel all the way into Edinburgh to be able to play padel, and yet padel is such a success story across Europe and increasingly in the UK.
“There are already over 500 courts in the UK and it’s growing very quickly.
“Amazingly, the nearest one to us is Edinburgh, which isn’t very convenient for most people in East Lothian – so people who do want to play have to take a two-hour round trip to play for an hour or something. It’s not a great situation but we’re hoping to rectify that.”
Working with East Lothian Council, the club is initially looking to introduce two all-weather flood-lit covered courts.
The club has launched a survey to hear residents' thoughts and gauge interest; 200 responses have already been received.
Russell Pinkerton, who is leading the initiative, said: “In order to make it happen, we need to get a feel of how many people will be interested in playing and also get views on where to locate the courts, with Gullane or Fenton Barns currently looking like the hot favourites.”
Following the survey, the group hope to quickly gain momentum with the plans, looking to then apply for grants and a loan to build the courts.
To register interest and share ideas on the proposals, go to padeleastlothian.com
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