With the World Padel League’s India debut in full swing at the Nesco Center in Mumbai, former World No.1, 2012 London Olympic silver medalist in badminton and former coach of India’s top doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Mathias Boe made a special appearance at the competition on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Boe shared his perspective on the growth of padel in India. He said, “Even more courts are coming up and there’s an ongoing discussion in many clubs about converting other courts into padel courts. The growth reminds me of what I’ve witnessed in Denmark, where the sport emerged from nothing, just 6-7 years ago.”
A regular padel player himself, Boe said, “I am not one of the best you have seen, but yeah, of course I was born with a racquet in my hand. Padel is relatively easy to pick up for beginners as well and that’s why the sport is also growing so rapidly.” He added, “It is a good mix because it’s merging all the sports. It’s like you have the glass from squash, then you have the ground strokes from tennis, and you also have the overheads from badminton. For badminton players, the advantage comes from the smashing and footwork. The doubles aspect requires a stronger partnership in communication and teamwork as well.”
Under Boe’s coaching, the duo of Satwik and Chirag achieved several memorable victories worldwide. These include a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, gold at the 2023 Asian Games, and gold at the Asian Championships, amongst other accomplishments.
Drawing from his coaching experience with India’s top doubles pair, Boe said, “Obviously my advantage was as a player I was tactically quite good, so often that tactical aspect I was able to bring in. For Satwik and Chirag especially, that was maybe what their game plan needed.”
He further added, “When you have dedicated your entire life to something, then obviously it’s not so difficult to spot the gaps. You need to understand how to talk to people differently. Chirag is a Mumbai boy, Satwik is from Andhra, so their personalities are also very different.”
The league stage concludes on February 7, with Game Changers Lions taking on Sohail Khan Ent. Panthers in the first match and the SG Pipers Cheetahs facing Vernost Jaguars in the second. The top two teams from the overall points table will compete in the finals on February 8.
The Meteora Developers World Padel League is being broadcast to a global audience, reaching various countries. Sports enthusiasts can catch the action live on:
Styx sports: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal
Myco: GCC, Egypt, Pakistan
Sony Sports Ten 1; Fancode (OTT): India
Padel TV: Scandinavia and UK
Rest of World: Stupa Analytics
Tickets for the matches are available on District by Zomato.
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