Dubai Premier Padel P1 aims for crowd record with venue shift
DUBAI (ALETIHAD)Following the resounding success of the inaugural Dubai Premier Padel P1 tournament last year, the organisers are hoping to take the tournament to a bigger audience while trying to set an attendance record for the sport in the UAE with a change of venue.This year's tournament moves from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, with a capacity of 5,000 people, to Hamdan Sports Complex with triple that capacity. Last year, the attendance total amounted to 24,000. The elite padel championship this year will be held from November 9-16, tickets for which went on sale on Tuesday.Sprawling over 24 hectares, the Hamdan Sports Complex is the largest indoor sports facility in the Middle East. The Centre Court will take up half the event space, designed to fit more than 7,000 spectators, a record-setting capacity. There will be three secondary courts also in the operation, along with two practice courts at one of the biggest multi-purpose stadiums in the world.The climate-controlled facility is sure to prove a popular choice among the growing number of padel lovers in the region. With every Centre Court ticket, the access to other competition courts will be free of charge. The first phase of ticketing for the second edition launched on Platinumlist.net, with early bird prices starting from Dh36 for the general admission category.The tournament is conducted by Gallop Global along with Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA). The Championship's prize purse has also increased marginally across the men's and women's categories, rising from €470,000 (Dh1.96m) to €474,500 (Dh1.98m), underscoring the marquee event's status on the Middle East sporting calendar.The 240-player field is expected to include all elite competitors from around the globe, including current world No1 men's pairing – and 2024 winners – Arturo Coello and Agustin Tapia, as well as female top ranked players Ari Sanchez and Paula Josemaria.In a statement, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, the UAEPA President, reflected on the inaugural event last year as "a historic milestone for the sport, which has rapidly grown in popularity in the UAE. We eagerly anticipate the second edition... and from the UAEPA we are proud to support the biggest tournament in our country."
Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, added: "The return of Dubai Premier Padel P1 on the Middle East sporting calendar underscores the growing prominence of the sport in the region, and indeed worldwide. We look forward to welcoming even more spectators at this year's tournament in what is guaranteed to generate a special atmosphere inside the state-of-the-art Hamdan Sports Complex."
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