A new sport has been brought to Malta, which is a cross between tennis and squash, known as Padel.
It is played on a court similar to that of a tennis court, however is smaller in size.
The game is played with doubles, so two teams of two. Behind the players is a wall which the ball can bounce off of. The idea, is that the ball must first bounce on the floor, but then is able to bounce off the opponent's wall, but if the ball hits the floor a second time then you score a point. If the ball hits the opponent's wall first before hitting the floor, then your opponent would score a point. There are of course other rules, such as the serve having to be an underhand serve and the ball having to travel over the net among others.
Janika and Karl Wijkmark, who run Padel Malta based in Pembroke, described it as a very social sport.
"Tennis is a fantastic sport, but you can't go and just start playing as you need to thoroughly learn the technique and is not that easy to get into. Squash, unless you are already quite fit, is a hard sport to play. Padel is a happy medium and there are people who just walk in, never having played a racket sport in their lives, and still manage to get the ball over the net and enjoy themselves. Padel is a very social sport," Janika explained. They said that they also have a professional coach to teach those who would like to learn to play properly.
"Many people say the social element is a major factor in the success of the sport," Karl adds.
Prior to their official launch last Saturday, the courts had already been open for a few weeks. "The response has been fantastic and court bookings are over our expectations. We intend to start working with schools and hotels to fill up the courts more, Karl explained, with Janika adding that they want to speak to local councils as well and ensure that people know about this sport. They said that the sport brings people together. "You're always four on the court, and so you're always meeting people."
During the official opening Parliamentary Secretary for Youths and Sports Clifton Grima praised the idea of bringing a new sport to the island, highlighting the health benefits sport plays in people's lives.
The Wijkmarks said that they already host competitive tournaments, and the first one they had hosted included 26 couples. The couple also said that at the end of May a tournament called Madison bull Padel will be held here in Malta, which they described as the largest amateur Padel circuit in the world.
Asked why they decided to bring the sport of Padel to Malta, Karl Wijkmark said that they started discussing the idea around three years ago.
"I saw it played a lot in Sweden, and over the past five years it really took off there. I had played it there and we had travelled to Barcelona in Spain and had played there as well. If it works so well in other Mediterranean countries like Spain, it should work well here in Malta as well."
"Padel did not exist in Malta and we saw an opportunity to introduce an exciting sport project to the island, and a business opportunity."
Janika Wijkmark had also undertaken a university course, a Masters degree in knowledge-based entrepreneurship and as a thesis she focused on creating a business plan for the introduction of Padel in Malta. "When the market research and the plan went well we decided to go for it." Padel, she said, is a sport that can be played by people of all ages. "and the beauty of it is that it creates a community."
Karl described the history of Padel saying that it started in the 60s in Mexico. He said that it is believed that a wealthy person had erected walls around his personal tennis court to stop balls from flying over into his neighbour's garden. Eventually the idea was brought to Marbella in Spain and the first official Padel Club was constructed there.
From there it spread throughout Spain, and also grew popular in Argentina. He said that it really took off in the 90s. "In the last five years it started spreading globally." Padel is one of the fastest growing racket sport in the world, Janika added.