Jeremy Gala: “Promoting padel among young people in Belgium remains a challenge”

Jeremy Gala, after a long period of inactivity due to injury, shares his goals for the season. He also reveals his vision of padel in Belgium, talks about his commitment to promoting padel among young people with his academy and also reveals the name of his partner for the season.

The gala Padel Academy

“Currently, we are in 3 clubs, we are making significant progress since we now have around 800 students per year who participate in our various training programs. Our offers include private and group lessons, as well as courses for adults and children. The particularly gratifying point is our success in attracting a growing number of children to padel. Promoting padel to young people in Belgium remains a challenge, because this sport is not yet sufficiently anchored in the country's sports culture, I think. Although children have the choice between tennis, football, hockey and padel, I think that padel will always be a little in the last choices.”

The evolution of padel in Belgium

“The main difficulty is to attract young people under 10 to padel. Some schools, established for several years in the north of Belgium, already benefit from a solid base of young players, it shows that interest in padel can vary. I find that it is evolving because there are tournaments for young people now and there are more and more activities, courses and training. It is a promising sign for the future of padel in Belgium.

In a few weeks, Brussels will host the Premier Padel, which is the most important event of the year for padel in Belgium. The different national federations offer many events, tournaments and training courses with foreign coaches who come here to give lessons. Special attention is paid to young people and women who are the two categories still under-represented in padel. There are many initiatives that are put in place to encourage their participation, including the organization of tournaments dedicated to these categories.”

Projects and objectives for 2024

“Last May I had surgery on both Achilles tendons, which marked the start of a long period of inactivity. There were six months during which I could not play any sport. It's still super long, especially for me who is used to a rather active life. It's only now that I'm gradually getting back into shape. Inactivity has led to muscle loss, and regaining that lost strength is truly the hardest part.

I'm really starting to get back to my pre-injury level, so I'm very happy. For the moment, I can play without feeling pain and with good sensations on the pitch. My goal now is to participate in FIP tournaments abroad. I am also aiming for selection in the national team, with the hope of playing in the European and World Championships.”

His partner for the season

“I'm going to play with Marc Pastor, he's a Spanish player who came to live here in Brussels. Marc also has his academy in a club located right next to the ferry terminal. The idea is to do the season with him because I find that we complement each other very well and we share the same vision. Marc has a fairly aggressive style of play as a right-wing player, which is not common in this position. Marc is the kind of player who can make the difference on the pitch and I like that because usually, it was often me who had to try to make the difference by being on the left.”

Areas for improvement

“In terms of areas for improvement, I think I should progress in terms of the pace of the matches. On a technical level, I think I have room for improvement in terms of volleys, I need to be sharper. I would also have to adopt a little more aggressiveness on the pitch because I am still a player who likes to defend a lot. There is also the management of key moments, the pressure and the stress of matches that I can work on only by playing matches, there are not too many secrets.”

The model of his racket

"Black Crown will introduce new models and, currently, I am in the testing phase for these new features. I haven't decided yet, but at the moment I'm playing with the Python Special 16K. Usually, I favor round racquets for the control they offer.

Stéphane Penso tests all the news Black Crown Peak 2024!

Now, as the game goes faster and faster, I'm still looking for a racket that is a little more stable in fast play and still gives me a good amount of control. Because power is not what I lack, I think.”

Dorian Massy

New padel fan, I am fascinated by this dynamic sport that combines strategy and agility. I find in padel a new passion to explore and share with you on Padel Magazine.