Sports Information Leader Hernan Auguste (LEDAP): "The paddle will reach every corner of the world in five years"
Padel 2027: goal, the world. Since the end of the year, Hernan Auguste has been the operations director of LeDap, a company behind the Triton fund that encompasses the clubs of Europe with the aim of agglomerating them into their own structure to make them grow under his supervision. The objective? That, for the next Olympic Games, the scope of this sport is such that it ends up being included in the same way as surfing, climbing or skateboarding. “It is a very attractive sector to invest in, because there are many verticals where one can be present and obtain a profit”, explains the executive.
Question: Currently, paddle tennis is in fashion. Do you think that the boom in this sport has an expiration date?
Answer: I don't believe in the concept of whether it is fashionable or not, since paddle tennis is a sport that is currently established in countless countries and that still has a world to do. It is true that it is more modern compared to other sports such as football or basketball, but sooner or later it will end up establishing itself in places where it is more difficult to establish roots.
Q.: Other sports such as cycling or home fitness are beginning to see a drop in the number of practitioners. What should the paddle do to resist the push?
A.: The same as any other sport and the companies that carry it: to evolve and reinvent themselves to offer a better service to both the spectators and their clients. Of course, the pandemic caused a boom effect in some sports, but they must know how to adapt to maintain their level of fans.
Q.: In what way have companies in the sector been affected by supply problems in relation to products?
A.: It is an aspect that has affected all sectors, but in paddle tennis the blow was a little greater because, for months, the demand had already skyrocketed. With some difficulties, the companies managed to carry out their deliveries, although throughout this course the level of transport will gradually settle down and we will recover normality.
Q.: Has this led to a substantial increase in prices?
A.: The prices of both rackets, equipment (clothing, shoes) or balls before the pandemic and after the pandemic are similar, although it is true that, due to the increase in sports practice, brands sell more and perhaps the amount is slightly higher.
Q.: Paddle tennis is perceived as an elitist sport. Because? Can perception be changed?
R.: I don't consider him an elitist. That adjective to this sport has been left aside for a long time, since today it can be practiced in many places with a wide variety of prices and even the administrations put plans in motion for the existence of public tracks.
Q.: Should a booming sport like paddle tennis have the greatest support for its diffusion by the administrations?
R.: Indeed. Currently, there are Spanish city councils where investment is being made in new tracks, serving as an example for other places such as Latin America or the Middle East, where this work is gradually beginning to be developed.
Q.: You are absorbing a large part of the clubs around Europe. Is there too much fragmentation?
A.: There were two different sectors in Europe before our arrival: a format of making chain clubs (around ten or fifteen clubs controlled by the same person) and quite the opposite, something that does not occur in Spain, where each one owns their club. It is true that we find a lot of entrepreneurial businessman who has tried to exploit his clubs, but we want to agglomerate it in our own structure to make the sport grow uniformly.
Q.: Why is paddle tennis an attractive sector to invest in?
A.: It is a sport where there should be more investment, because in it there are many verticals where businessmen can be present and, in addition to professionalizing it, extract revenue. Despite squeezing the sport, paddle tennis still has a long way to go to grow.
Q.: What does paddle tennis have compared to other sports to attract athletes, fans and sponsors?
A.: It is a very social sport, one that can be quickly learned to play and that people immediately connect and can have fun while practicing it. In addition, the sweet spot or point of impact is closer to the hand, so that the control over the playability is greater, unlike other sports such as golf or tennis, where the hit is further away from the hand.
Q.: On an international scale, in which markets and countries should paddle tennis push to grow?
A.: The main market for this sport is in Europe, since countries like Spain, Italy, France and the north have a large base of equipment and practitioners. Even so, territories such as Germany, Austria or the United Kingdom still need another push. To a greater or lesser degree, this sport is established, and I am sure that in the next five years it will have reached all corners of the world.
