Italy passes the milestone of 2000 ski runs padel |

The practice of padel explodes in Italy and despite the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been an exceptional year in terms of new land construction. The Bel Paese even crossed a symbolic milestone at the start of 2021: that of 2000 lots available across the country.

Stronger than 5-a-side football

The situation is very favorable to padel in Italy and 2021 promises to beexcellent auspices. Sport respecting social distancing, padel is very fashionable in the Boot and the creations of brand new tracks are multiplying. For example, in December 2020, we learned that the Lombardy would host 300 sites additional to meet growing demand and attract new players. In January, statistics relating to indoor courts revealed that the supply had doubled in the past 12 months. According to the specialized site Mr Padel Paddle in a study taken up by the transalpine daily Corriere dello Sport, the padel knows a exponential growth that Italy has not known since the rise of five-a-side football in the 5s.

Rome, paradise of padel transalpin

First good news: Italy is making progress in structural terms. So there are more 900 places where it is possible to play padel, whether in clubs or multisport centers. Better: 250 of them have at least one indoor court. In total, the Bel Paese has in 2021 2027 fields including 600 indoor. The 20 administrative regions are equipped, which brings together 100 provinces and 439 cities.

It is in Lazio, the region of Rome, that it is easiest to indulge in padel. Indeed, 34% of the land available in Italy is in the capital and its surroundings, with 696 pitches for 260 sports structures. Rome is also the best equipped city with 455 tracks. Then follow Lombardy (215 sites in 89 structures), Sicily (194 sites in 92 structures), Emilia-Romagna (149 sites in 69 structures) and Piedmont (137 sites in 67 structures).

For play indoors, it's in Lombardie that it is the easiest to find happiness with 140 tracks, or 65% of the offer in the whole Boot. And it is not surprising that Milan, the capital of the region, is experiencing an unprecedented boom with an average of 3,6 plots available per structure. For comparison, this average is 4,5 in Spain.

With a player base that is growing week by week, Italy is becoming a model in terms of development that should inspire on the other side of the Alps. Next step to be taken: the 3000 land mark. Objective achieved this year?