West of Scotland Padel set to host prestigious national event

Stevenston is set to play host to some of the top UK padel players this weekend.

West of Scotland Padel is home of one of the fastest growing sports in the world - which is also sometimes called padel tennis - and they’re set to host a UK Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Grade 2 tournament on Saturday and Sunday as the best players across the country battle it out for glory.

The sport is a cross between tennis and squash and played on an enclosed court that is a third of the size of a tennis court with the Stevenston-based facility being the only one in Scotland with three indoor courts, which allows for playing the game all year round.

Padel was brought to Ayrshire eight years ago when local businessman David McCulloch fell in love with the sport while on holiday in Spain.

He duly came home, rented an industrial unit and erected three Padel courts - and the West of Scotland Padel was born.

The club has continued to go from strength to strength since and is now a non-profit organisation boasting a membership of well over 100.

This weekend’s tournament is also the latest success story for the club, which hosted the Scottish Championships in April - an event that attracted most of the UK’s top 10 male players.

Club members are also making their mark on the ranking tables, with one of the original club members, John Byrne, currently ranked seventh in the UK over-50 classification.

West of Scotland has also contributed players for both the Scottish and UK senior teams on the international circuit this year.

The club has two qualified coaches to help players of all standards and ages as well as running specific junior coaching sessions.

This weekend’s event is also being streamed live on the club’s YouTube channel @WOSP-TV.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the club should contact enquiries@wospadel.co.uk. The club can be found at Unit 10, Stevenston Industrial Estate, Stevenston KA20 3LR.

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