EMIHLE MBANGATHA
Padel Park Beacon Bay hosted a thrilling weekend tournament that brought together East London businesses and organisations, successfully raising R78,000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (Choc).
Held on March 7-8 and sponsored by Nashua East London, the Men’s and Ladies’ Padel Doubles Tournament featured a women’s competition on Friday evening and a full-day men’s event on Saturday.
Jarred Randall and Ryan King won Apple watches, sponsored by Nashua East London, after they took the crown in the men’s competition, while Hayley Wyer & Michelle van Zyl won Garmin Vivo watches, sponsored by Windmill, with their first place win for the women’s competition.
Tournament organisers Leonard Roeleveld and Steve Crossman said the event was inspired by their desire to support those affected by cancer, a cause close to their hearts.
“We wanted to give back to the community, and cancer felt like the right cause because so many people are affected by it — even within our small Padel community,” Roeleveld said.
The tournament featured two divisions — advanced and intermediate — for both men’s and women’s teams, with 48 men and 36 women participating.
Roeleveld said they were proud to have raised funds for Choc and hoped the donation would help families with transport costs to and from hospitals.
“Choc does an incredible job assisting children and their families. We hope the money raised helps ease some of the financial burdens these families face.”
This was Padel Park’s first collaboration with Choc, and Roeleveld expressed pride in being part of such a meaningful initiative.
“It’s always rewarding to give back to the community, especially when it comes to children who are so vulnerable when facing life-threatening illnesses.”
Thanks to sponsorships from local businesses, the tournament winners walked away with top-tier prizes.
Wyer is among many hoping for more padel competitions locally, as the sport grows.
She said: “We were thrilled to compete and the level of play was high, and winning a Garmin watch was an unexpected bonus. Most importantly, we were happy to be part of this fundraising event.”
Randall echoed this sentiment, highlighting the intensity of the final match.
“The competition was fierce, especially in the final, where we faced some truly skilled opponents. We had to dig deep to secure the win.”
Randall and his team at Independent Group rallied support from suppliers, securing additional donations for Choc.
“We reached out to all our suppliers to contribute money or prizes. Independent Group also made a direct donation, and the response from everyone was fantastic.”
The tournament’s success highlights the power of sport to unite communities for a great cause and make a difference in the lives of children battling cancer.
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