01 Although padel was invented in Mexico, the first South American country where padel expanded strongly was Argentina, where it really flourished in the 1980s.
Padel arrives in Argentina 1969.
The first camps in Argentina were built at Club Tortugas, Ocean Club Madeira Plata, Hotel Teddy Pini on the cliffs, La Biznaga summer retreat of the Blanquil family and the Menditgui family’s El Turf holiday home.
An indoor court was constructed behind the La Marca de Playa Grande (Mar del Plata) restaurant, and construction of private homes began.
On only a few occasions in ten years, Padel spent his summers at the Marbella Hotel Club, visited Corcuela in Acapulco, was a member of the Ocean Club or the Tortugas Club, or stayed at a friend’s house Known among those who play ball.
1982Argentina has fewer than 12 courses, but starting this year, padel began to develop and become the “Social phenomenon”.
The San Juan Tennis Club opened in Buenos Aires with eight courts, but on the advice of founding members such as the Obone brothers, the club built two cricket grounds, which became a milestone in the development of cricket in Argentina.
In the summer of 1983, the Zorba Spa Resort in Punta del Este, Uruguay, featured the sport and well-known players such as Ricardo Cano, Roberto “Cacho” Obone, the Argentinian Davis ex-member) into the Sporting Resort Cup squad, with young players like Eduardo and Robbie Gartic, who are among the best ever in Argentina. These races are fun and bring joy to the visitors of the spa resort.
Sports and social media did not ignore the new sport, and as padel grew, important entrepreneurs and athletes began to promote and support the new sport, organizing the first events and attracting high-profile sponsors.
National newspapers and magazines such as La Nación, Clarín and El Gráfico These events are published.
1984Club San Jorge opened in San Isidro with 14 cricket grounds and became the meeting point for Argentina’s best players.
Padel began to spread to the main cities of the Buenos Aires region, San Pedro (capital of La Plata), San Nicolás, San Isidro, Puerto Blanca, Trenclauquen, Porta Dosa, Rosario, Paraná, Corrientes, Bariloche, Neuquen, so far as far as the Atlantic coast is concerned, the famous installations began to be built.
For the record, in 1987 a meeting of the Assembly led to the creation of the Asociación Platense de Paddle (APPTAS), the world’s first official cricket-related body.
The Argentine Padel Association (APA) was founded in 1988 by a group of friends led by Oscar “Cacho” Nicastro, led by founding member Alberto Villaverde ( First President), Jorge Horacio Brito, Costancio C. Vigil, Mauricio Macri , Oscar Nicastro, Joaquín Management del Molino Torres, José Luis Abkhedid, Julio Cesar Perez Co Lal, Diogenes de Uquiza Ancrena, Gustavo Marquillian, Guillermo Stanley, Arturo Carlos Toro, Miguel Alonso, Fabian Ranucci, Carlos Inurigaro, Juan Carlos De Marco, Cecilia Basicarupo, Hector Salvat, Gray Gregorio Ignacio Sanz, Julio Ratti, Héctor G Arribas and Fernando García Poule Fernando Garcia Pulles are outstanding and passionate padel athletes and celebrities.
Their aim is to create an association that represents the sport, presents its philosophical and technical goals and rules, and plans and manages the development of padel in Argentina.
Our aspiration is to become a leading international sports association.
In 1989, a project by Platense coach Jorge Galeotti became a turning point for padel and its international expansion… Crystal Palace, the first disassembled and transportable glass court.
It was first used in Mar del Plata with great success, thanks to the widest TV coverage of padel at the time.
Now, spectators can see 100% of the stadium.
Thus, the era of mobile cricket has arrived as the field can be set up in any outdoor or indoor facility, surrounded by benches and stands for large crowds.
By 1991, padel was considered the second most popular sport in Argentina, after football.
This is evident in sporting goods stores where it has become the best selling…
Data sources: Juan Carlos De Marco, Oscar Nicastro, and Daniel Patti, as well as memoirs, anecdotes, and archives FIP – PadelRetro Facebook Profile – Translated by Carlo Ferrara
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