UBS, Gardens by the Bay team up to bring padel to the community

[SINGAPORE] After successful stops in Hong Kong and Sydney, UBS has brought its regional Padel Series to Singapore with the opening of two courts at Gardens by the Bay that are free to the public for the next three weeks until Oct 11.

Padel at the Gardens – which is part of the global bank’s Craft of Sport initiative – features two custom-built padel courts on the West Lawn at Gardens by the Bay with the venue’s iconic Supertrees as the backdrop.

The courts were open on Friday (Sep 18) with Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi, UBS’ managing director of Global Wealth Management (Asia-Pacific) Conrad Huber, and Gardens by the Bay chief operations officer Ong Kian Ann joining national padel players and dozens of other participants to experience this fast-growing sport.

According to statistics from the Madrid-based International Padel Federation, there are more than 38 million people in over 170 countries who play padel, with this number set to exceed 105 million by 2030.

Padel – often described as a combination of tennis and squash – is almost exclusively played as a doubles format on an enclosed glass court.

Huber from UBS said the bank wanted to create a “welcoming space” where sport, nature and the community could come together and flourish.

“Padel at the Gardens reflects our belief that sport is a powerful catalyst for connection. Through sport, we celebrate the values of dedication, discipline and perseverance – qualities that support healthy, active and fulfilling lives,” he said.

The Singapore leg of the UBS Padel Series follows two earlier events – Padel Central at Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront next to Victoria Harbour, and a Padel Invitational at the Sydney Opera House.

Other than padel, UBS Singapore has also tapped on the drawing power of sports such as Formula 1, golf and football to bring world-class athletes and local talent together.

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These include a roundtable with Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver and UBS global brand ambassador George Russell, a golf clinic with the 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, and bringing former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry to meet young footballers.

Gardens by the Bay’s Ong said that sporting events bring the community together, and the aim is to have this collaboration with UBS open up the sport to a wider audience.

Open-play sessions and free public court bookings can be made at www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/padel or via the Playtomic app, with padel equipment also available for rental. As at press time on Sunday, all the slots have been taken up but the organisers said the courts might become available if there are cancellations.