O West, one of Orascom Development’s integrated towns in 6th of October, has unveiled its 2022 plans for Padel in Egypt, becoming the biggest hub for this young and popular sport. Kicking off the year with the launch of the first FIP Star International padel tournament from the 11th to the 13th of March at O West; under the auspices of the International Padel Federation, the Egyptian Padel Federation (under establishment), and in cooperation with IEVENTS.
The announcement was made during a press conference, organized by O West, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth Sports, Dr. Samy Saad, Chairman of the board of Orascom Development Egypt, Mr. Tarek Kamel, CEO of O West, Mr. Amr Mansi, CEO of IEVENTS, and Eng. Ahmed Ghatwary, President of the Egyptian Padel Federation (under establishment).
Dr, Asharf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, thanked Orascom Development for their cooperation and support to the Sports sector. This step comes in line with the Egyptian government’s direction in supporting sports tournaments and shedding light on the importance of cooperation with the private sector to support this promising sports
He added: ” Padel has lately become one of the widely spread sports.
You can rarely find a place without a Padel court, and today we witness the launch of the first international Padel tournament at O West. The sport gained the interest of many athletes, as they tend to play it after ending their sports career, and participating in many tournaments.”
During his speech, the Minister stressed on the role of sports investment in increasing the base of practicing sports through private clubs which have increased their number to 40 clubs yet some of them are still under establishment, adding that “ Currently we are working on cooperation with businessmen and private sector to support youth”
Mr. Tarek Kamel, CEO of O West commented: “We, at Orascom Development, strive to achieve a solid basis that comprises both the social and sports foundations.
Stemming from this fact, we have been sparing no effort, over the course of the past 33 years, to acquire the needed experiences that would enable us to host successful cultural and sports events, and thus elevate the stance of our integrated towns.”
He continued: “When it comes to O West, we are always on the lookout to support and empower youth in various fields, especially those with sports talents. We intend to provide the up-and-coming generations with opportunities that enable them to become future champions in whatever sport they put their minds to. Backed by our state of the art Sports club, we have decided that O West would become the suitable hub for the popular Padel sport in Egypt.
In this light, this year, O West will unprecedentedly host a set of international tournaments, namely 2 FIP Star, FIP Gold, and Promise Kids under the auspices of the International Padel Federation, in addition to two other local tournaments starting in Ramadan, under the auspices of the Egyptian Padel Federation (under establishment).”
Kamel further pointed out: “Padel is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide, as it brings together all ages and personalities. Thus, we are keen to be at the forefront of adopting the game, and encouraging its players, through equipping O West Sports Club with the needed infrastructure and tournaments.”
It is noteworthy that O West Sports Club groundbreaking took place last September, covering an area of 38 acres. Reinforced by a number of specialized sports academies, to be the largest integrated sports and social club in West Cairo, offer distinguished professional services to club members.”
Dr. Samy Saad ,Chairman of the board of Orascom Development Egypt, has accentuated that over the past 33 years, Orascom has highly focused on building integrated towns, with the appropriate infrastructure to host successful cultural and sports events.
Saad added: “Orascom Development is keen on building dynamic towns and active communities. Cooperation between the public and private sectors is vital to support our strategy of encouraging youth, and developing their skills.”
For his part, Amr Mansi, CEO of IEVENTS, has expressed his gratitude for the ongoing, fruitful cooperation with Orascom Development, and has praised their endeavors in encouraging emerging sports. He also mentioned that their strong support was evident earlier in the squash scene, with the hosting of the El Gouna International Squash Open, which has become one of the most important world tournaments, for more than nine years.
Mansi has also affirmed that in continuation to the aforementioned achievements, a collaboration with O West will include holding a number of tournaments such as the FIP Star tournament, which witnesses the participation of 51 teams from 6 different countries, including 14 Egyptian teams.
He stated: “Padel is a sport characterized by the ease and simplicity of its rules. It is a mix between tennis, squash and racquet. Therefore, it has succeeded in a short period of time, in attracting many players and fans. We expect the sport to continue gaining more popularity, and we hope that Egypt will take the lead on the regional level in organizing more international tournaments.”
Eng. Ahmed Ghatwary, President of the Egyptian Padel Federation (under establishment) commented: “I would like to thank H.E. Dr. Ashraf Sobhy for his outstanding support to the Egyptian Padel Federation. Recently, we have exerted a lot of effort towards becoming the leading country for padel on the regional level.”
He added: “This year, Egypt was ranked fourth for hosting international tournaments, which is a great achievement. I would like to extend my gratitude to Orascom Development and IEVENTS, for organizing a series of international tournaments; that support the development and growth of padel in Egypt.”
It is worth noting that O West is hosting this tournament with a prize pool of €13,500, as part of Orascom Development’s strategy to organize sports and cultural events, as well as empower young people in various fields.
About O West:
O West is one of Orascom Development’s integrated town in Western Cairo. It stretches over an area of 1,000 acres, which is equivalent to 4.2 million square meters. It is also characterized by a unique urban design, with a balance between the spacious green areas, and the designated spaces for buildings.
O West’s layout encapsulates unique modern neighborhoods, venues for social events with full access to all the necessary facilities and services. 11,000 housing units, an educational area with five major international schools that follow the British, American, and German systems, medical and commercial areas, and an administrative office area to support entrepreneurship. Last but not least, O West also embraces its famous Sports Club, which carries its name, and spans over an area of 38 acres.
