World's fastest growing sport coming to Navan as padel court facility opening soon

'If you're 20 or 70, you'll be able to play'

Meath people will have a new pastime to consider in the coming weeks, as the fastest growing sport in the world, padel, is coming to Navan.

Just shy of his 24th birthday, David Usher is the man behind Indoor Padel Ireland, who are nearing completion of a new sports facility in Mullaghboy Industrial Park..

Padel, which is a combination of tennis and squash, has been a sweeping sensation across Europe over recent years, and now Meath will have its first collection of courts.

With members of his family hailing from Skyrne and Dunshaughlin, David feels that Meath is his ‘second home’, after being raised in Naas, Kildare. Now, he is eager to make a big splash in the county with his project.

“It’s going to be a really good, premium facility, and a great addition to Navan,” David said. “It will have five double courts, a single court, a player’s lounge, changing rooms, and a sauna.”

Not only were his family ties a factor in bringing the courts to Meath, but David also wanted his business venture to draw in players from neighboring counties. “Navan is a perfect location. Not only do you have Slane, Kells, Trim, but you’re also right off the motorway. It’s going to be very accessible for people in Dublin, Kildare, and Cavan.”

David first discovered the sport after a brief period living in Madrid, where the craze was just starting to take off. Now, Navan has welcomed courts that have come all the way from Barcelona.

The entrepreneur didn’t want to take shortcuts on quality, as he said, “There’s so many courts in Spain, the majority of them come from there. They have the most experience in making them, so it was really important to get good, high quality for our indoor courts.”

In terms of pull factors for the sport, David felt that one of the major standouts were the accessibility and the social aspect of padel.

“I started playing two years ago and I fell in love with the sport instantly. Now, I’m not very good, but I’m hooked on it. I found it was really accessible, and a very sociable activity. It’s great for being social since you play in fours.”

David also feels that a change in how people spend their spare time makes padel the perfect consideration.

“I think people are starting to shift away from pubs. They’re starting to move towards cafes or run clubs. Padel is a combination of exercise, which is crucial for our mental health, and socialness… I think that’s why it’s become so popular.

“It’s more accessible than either tennis or squash. After one or two games playing it, you get the hang of it. If you’re 20 or if you’re 70, you’re able to play. People don’t get a chance to meet their mates for two or three hours anymore, so that’s what we’re trying to encourage.”

There is currently no official opening date for the padel centre, but it is expected that Indoor Padel Ireland will be welcoming players through their doors in just a short number of weeks, as David said his current emotions are ‘pure excitement’ for the launch.