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'We've not looked back since opening a padel club'

Caroline GallWest Midlands
News imageSimon Manfredi, Nilesh Dayaram and Anesh Dayaram The trio are wearing light coloured T-shirts or tops with their branding on - an orange square with Padel Warehouse 52. They are smilingSimon Manfredi, Nilesh Dayaram and Anesh Dayaram
Simon Manfredi, Nilesh Dayaram and Anesh Dayaram said it took them 18 months to find the right type of building to set up their club

Three men who have established a new padel club in Wolverhampton have said they have not looked back since opening and are embracing building up a community.

Anesh Dayaram, his brother Nilesh and friend Simon Manfredi opened Padel Warehouse 52 in Ettingshall in the last few weeks and said more than 1,500 people had come to play on their three courts.

After playing the game themselves and aware of the sport's growing popularity, they said they wanted to establish their own club.

"Since we've opened, we haven't really looked back. It's been really, really positive," Manfredi said.

The sport has become hugely popular in the UK as well as other countries, with currently about 800 padel courts in Britain, and more than 400,000 players, according to Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), last summer.

Similar to tennis, it involves using a shorter racket, a smaller court and an underarm serve.

"We started playing a couple of years ago and it's just snowballed from there," Anesh Dayaram said.

"Everyone we talk to says, yes, it's a very addictive sport. I think that's why it's taken off so well in this country."

The group spent 18 months finding a location for the new club and opened on G5 Industrial Park in Spring Road about seven weeks ago.

News imagePadel Warehouse 52 A large orange court can be seen with netting around it and dividers and a Padel Warehouse 52 sign on the right of the image outside the court.Padel Warehouse 52
The friends said they loved the sport so much they set about self-funding their own club

They are among the first in Wolverhampton, with others at Sandwell Leisure Centre, but know other clubs are aiming to open in Wombourne.

They offer free rackets and people can just turn up and pay and play or become a club member.

They have already held mental health and wellbeing events, opening the courts up to anyone for a few hours to play and socialise.

"It's been really, really positive and the sort of feedback that we've had from people has been been really good," Manfredi said.

"We're really happy with the finished product. It looks great."

Anesh Dayaram added: "It's all about that kind of community kind of feel - we're seeing the same faces and they're getting to know us too."

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