Qatar Foundation’s The Dome Padel Club and Education City Golf Club have opened their padel facilities to the community, offering a number of indoor and outdoor courts along with dedicated ladies-only slots.

The Dome Padel Club at Education City is a sports club focused on promoting physical and mental well-being through padel. Whether visitors are newcomers to the sport or seasoned experts, the club cultivates talent across all levels and fosters a social environment that brings the whole community together.

Edu Franza, Head Coach at The Dome Padel Club, grew up playing tennis before turning to padel at the age of 11, and says he has had a racket in his hand ever since. “I enjoy padel for many reasons: I like teaching, where I can transfer my knowledge to contribute to others’ experiences; I also like the tactical strategy of the sport; and I like the competitive level of the sport because I know what it’s like to have competed,” he says.

“I came to Doha a year and a half ago with my sights set on the spectacular project that is now a reality – The Dome. This was the main reason I started working within Education City. And Education City offers a wide range of options to enjoy sport, not just padel, and it is home to world-class facilities and large natural spaces.

“All these features make it one of the best options for lovers of any kind of sport.”

Padel has grown in popularity in Qatar over the last few years, and Franza believes the sport is a global movement that will continue to expand and thrive. “What I enjoy the most is to see people from all corners of the world playing padel,” he says. “That's why I came to Doha.

“And now I enjoy watching the spectacular growth that is taking place here. I think women in particular, specifically Qatari women, have built a great community around the sport.”

The Education City Golf Club also offers padel facilities for the public. With four panoramic Adidas-sponsored padel courts and one private court, other membership benefits include unlimited access to the fitness club, a complimentary introductory golf lesson, and four buckets of balls every month at the driving range.

Claudia Osés Equiza, a padel coach who works at both The Dome Padel Club and Education City Golf Club, has also been playing padel from a young age. She believes it brings people together and gives them confidence as they advance in the sport, saying: “What I enjoy most is being surrounded by my students, seeing their progress, laughing with them on the court, and having the same passion in the sport.”

She also thinks padel is a fun, social sport that is community driven. “I hope that padel activities increase in the future and through these two new facilities we can help encourage its growth,” she said.

The Dome Padel Club is fully accessible to all, and also offers ladies only slots every day from 11.30am-5.30pm, with an extension to 7pm on the weekends. Mixed slots can be booked from 6.30am-11am and from 6pm–midnight. The Education City Golf Club padel courts are open from 6.30am-10pm.

Bookings for both The Dome Padel Club and Education City Golf Club can be made through Playtomic at https://playtomic.io/, the largest padel and tennis community in the world that will help players find partners of every level, join matches wherever they are, and compete in tournaments globally.

To find out more about Education City, please visit www.qf.org.qa/education/education-city or download the Education City App through Apple or Google Play.