Badminton player and renowned coach Mathias Boe visits World Padel League

Dubai
With the World Padel League’s India debut in full swing at the Nesco Center in Mumbai, former World No.1, 2012 London Olympic silver medalist in badminton and former coach of India’s top doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Mathias Boe made a special appearance at the competition.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Boe shared his perspective on the growth of padel in India. He said, “Even more courts are coming up and there’s an ongoing discussion in many clubs about converting other courts into padel courts. The growth reminds me of what I’ve witnessed in Denmark, where the sport emerged from nothing, just 6-7 years ago.”
A regular padel player himself, Boe said, “I am not one of the best you have seen, but yeah, of course I was born with a racquet in my hand. Padel is relatively easy to pick up for beginners as well and that’s why the sport is also growing so rapidly.” He added, “It is a good mix because it’s merging all the sports. It’s like you have the glass from squash, then you have the ground strokes from tennis, and you also have the overheads from badminton. For badminton players, the advantage comes from the smashing and footwork. The doubles aspect requires a stronger partnership in communication and teamwork as well.”
Under Boe’s coaching, the duo of Satwik and Chirag achieved several memorable victories worldwide. These include a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships, gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, gold at the 2023 Asian Games, and gold at the Asian Championships, amongst other accomplishments.