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The future looks bright for padel tennis in the UAE, say Spanish coaches Icardo and Lopez
Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex based professionals are responsible for grooming both the Senior and Junior UAE Padel Teams
Padel tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the UAE. - Khaleej Times file
Dual-tasking is common in modern-day sport’s coaching and two Dubai-based padel tennis professionals are juggling roles of grooming promising Emirati players while also helping promote UAE padel tennis on the world stage.
Spaniards Sergio Icardo and Javier Lopez, National Team Coaches for the UAE Padel Association (UAEPA), have been sharpening the skills of both junior and senior players at the state-of-the-art Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex.
The UAE Padel Association is administered under the Presidency of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, the honorary president of Arab Padel Federation, and is open for both UAE Nationals and Ex-pats.
Born in Valencia, Icardo and Lopez also represent the UAE when they compete on the European Padel circuit as they did recently at the FIP Rise Osaka tournament in Japan.
Top seeded they finished second in the Euros 6, 250 event that featured 32 pairs. After earning a bye in Round One, to advance to the Round of 16 they then dominated their next two matches to get to the final, where they played Number Three seeds, fellow Spaniards: Nico Manicuova and Ferran Sotillo.
However, Icardo and Lopez lost 6-4, 7-5 and had to settle for the runners-up spot.
Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex based Spanish coaches Sergio Icardo and Javier Lopez,. - Supplied photo
Speaking to Khaleej Times Icardo said: “The Japan tournament was a big one for us both and we were proud to represent the UAE.
“Essential as padel coaches we are responsible for both the Senior and Junior UAE Padel Teams.
“The UAE team recently won the GCC Championship held at NAS, in arguably the strongest fields in the tournament’s history,” he added.
“Our next objective is to achieve European standards against the best.
“At our coaching camp in Dubai, we have about 12 UAE Nationals in our squad program preparing for the UAE Junior Qualifier to represent the UAE at the World Junior Padel Championships in November in Paraguay,” said Icardo who recently won an unranked UAE tournament at Just Padel in Dubai.
The Spaniard is confident that the country’s thriving sports environment, infrastructure and patronage can benefit the future success of individual participants.
“Padel is arguably the fastest growing sport in Dubai and the UAE,” said Icardo. “The overall sports facilities in Dubai are amongst the best in the world and with the ideal winter climate we are having a great time.
“We are both enjoying life in Dubai. I have been here three years and Javier has been in Dubai ten years.
“In our off time we also play golf at a social level and we are friends with Italian Dubai resident golfers Guido Migliozzi and Renato Paratore.”
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Icardo highlighted the importance of supporters and sponsors that has enabled them to coach and play padel and to compete in tournaments, both locally and internationally.
They are supported by S5, Home Bakery, Links, Vyntage and BearFish Sports Apparel.
sports@khaleejtimes.com
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