Main content

The invention of Padel

In 1969, Enrique and Viviana Corcuera created Padel while on holiday. With millions of players around the world, Padel is now the fastest growing sport on the planet.

Have you ever invented a game to pass the time while on vacation? Well, what if that game became a global sensation?

In 1969, Enrique and Viviana Corcuera created Padel while on holiday. With federations in six continents and millions of players around the world, Padel is now the fastest growing sport on the planet.

Viviana shares her experience with Hunter Charlton. It鈥檚 an Ember Audio production for 大象传媒 World Service.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You鈥檒l hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.

Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women鈥檚 World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football鈥檚 biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who鈥檝e had ground breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

(Photo: Enrique and Viviana Corcuera pictured in the 1980s. Credit: Viviana Corcuera)

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Mon 9 Sep 2024 02:50GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 7 Sep 2024 04:50GMT
  • Sat 7 Sep 2024 17:50GMT
  • Sat 7 Sep 2024 18:50GMT
  • Sat 7 Sep 2024 23:50GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2024 03:50GMT
  • Sun 8 Sep 2024 23:50GMT
  • Mon 9 Sep 2024 02:50GMT

Olympic history

Olympic history

The inside and personal story of the key moments from sporting history

Sporting Witness Films

Sporting Witness Films

Watch sporting heroes tell their stories of astonishing achievement

Podcast