Humans of Padel
Join your host Max Marsh Pickard, General Manager of Padel Art & Co founder of The Padel Outlet in a weekly entertaining dive into the world of Padel and the people involved in the industry
Humans of Padel
How Padel is Changing Lives in the UAE | Insights from Aisha Alawadhi
What if transitioning from one sport to another could open doors to unimagined opportunities? Join us as we sit down with Aisha, the UAE's first ranked female padel player, who shares her remarkable journey from tennis to padel. Hear firsthand how Aisha discovered her passion for padel while studying in the UK and how this sport has since taken the UAE by storm. She opens up about the challenges and surprises of switching sports and the unique community spirit that paddle fosters, drawing many Emiratis into its fold.
In our deep dive, Aisha discusses the competitive nature of team sports, emphasizing the focus on personal growth and the importance of small, achievable goals over merely winning. Listen as she provides valuable insights into effective teamwork, supporting a partner on a bad day, and maintaining positive court dynamics. You'll also get an inside look at her thrilling experience competing in the World Padel Tour's main draw against top-ranked players, a journey filled with both educational and inspiring moments.
We wrap up with a discussion on the broader impact of paddle in the UAE. Explore how this sport is bridging cultural gaps and fostering an inclusive community. Hear Aisha's thoughts on the potential for UAE to shine on the Olympic stage and her aspirations for the future. This episode promises a blend of personal anecdotes, strategic insights, and a vision of a growing sport that’s uniting people across Dubai and beyond. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation that captures the heart and spirit of padel.
Aisha, thank you for joining me today. Great to have the first UAE ranked female player with me on the podcast today. Welcome to the Max Plays Paddle podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you. It's a pleasure being here. Thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1:You're always welcome. It's always a pleasure chatting with you. Let's get straight into it. Tell us the story of how you discovered paddle.
Speaker 2:So actually I first heard about paddle when I was living in the UK. I was actually studying university at the time and everyone just kept messaging me, like my family, my friends. They were like oh, there's this new sport, like it's super interesting, it reminds them of tennis, and they're like you need to try it when you're back. Because at that time no one really knew about paddle in London. It didn't blow up as often and like as quick as it did here in the UAE, and so I knew like as soon as I'd come back to Dubai I'd have to try it what were you doing in London?
Speaker 2:I was studying. Oh yeah, I was in university for about four years, so I lived there for four years roughly um, with COVID. Obviously that caused disruptions and I came back quite often, but um, when I officially moved back, that was when I first got into it okay, so my brother had booked a court with my father and my sister because we all used to play tennis together. We grew up playing tennis, um, and so I entered the court and I didn't turn back from that day when was this?
Speaker 2:um, it was 2022, just about two years ago.
Speaker 1:Okay, wow. So you've come a long way in a short amount of time.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And how was that? First time playing paddle, picking up a paddle racket?
Speaker 2:It was strange. I was like why is it so small in comparison to a tennis racket? But honestly, at that point I stopped playing tennis years back. So to me it was just strange holding a racket again, because for a while I took a break from racket sports and I got into other sports while I was in school. So just stepping into that paddle court and holding the racket it was strange. But then obviously you get that natural instincts that come with tennis. So essentially we were all just playing tennis on a paddle court for the first time. But it was fun. I mean it was nice, the weather was great, it was just a fun time because there's I mean the sport itself is just so interesting, like having two people on each side of the court. It. I mean we had like fun arguments between me and my brother because we were playing together. But that's just all about the sport, right, like the, the, I would say the social aspect that binds people together. I agree.
Speaker 1:I do believe that's the side of paddle that's really helped the sport take off is the, the accessibility and the social side and getting to be with people that you love and enjoying a sport together, which isn't the case with tennis. Tennis is a very technical sport. It's very difficult to play it is some say it's the king of racket sports, because it's true. If you do have a tennis background, it's easier to get into paddle.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 1:Tennis seems to be big in the UAE.
Speaker 2:Yes, it really is, and I would say it really used to be huge. Like back when I was growing up there were two very prominent clubs in the UAE and pretty much a lot of the locals and, especially like at that time, a lot of parents would send their kids to these clubs and academies to kind of train. So for me, I trained at Al-Wasl Sports Club. So it still does exist, but I don't think they do tennis anymore. I think it's just the whole football stadium that they have going on.
Speaker 2:But yeah, essentially I grew up playing tennis there and we had quite a bit of competition with Al-Nasr Club. So I I mean it was nice, it was great community at that time. That was kind of what people were getting into. So more more into tennis, to to stay fit, to stay more active. That was kind of the goal with our parents, right, they wanted to send us to tennis to try to first of all have a social circle and at the same time, do something outside of school that was active, and so, yeah, the community at the time was huge, everyone was kind of doing it do you think most of the Emiratis have moved to paddle now, or do you think there's still some hardcore tennis?
Speaker 2:honestly, I do think they've all transitioned into paddle, um, just, I mean, everyone's playing it at the moment, aren't they? Yeah, and I mean it's cool. It's cool to see that transition. I think a lot of people realize that it's become easily accessible now to enter a paddle court and it's nice to meet people.
Speaker 2:I would say it does have that added social aspect that tennis doesn't necessarily have. Like, it's a bit harder to socialize with people, like for me, essentially, when I used to go to my tennis trainings, I would just focus on that and I have to get home directly to do some studies and all of that, so it was difficult to connect with people as easy as it was with paddle. I think that's what a lot of people crave nowadays just being in a place where you can be active, you can get that, you know competitive drive, but at the same time just have fun with a group of people yeah, definitely, and also you don't need to be playing as often to maintain a good level of paddle yeah we tend to need the repetition and the constant training.
Speaker 1:If you want to be competing, I feel paddle. Your level remains relatively consistent even if you take a break away from the sport yeah, definitely, I would completely agree so when did you decide to start taking paddle seriously?
Speaker 2:seriously. So that was when I first moved back in 2022. I started, I played the sport for the first time, and then after that, my brother was telling me that he trained with this coach and it was in Paddle Point, and so I was like, why not, let me give it a shot? Who's the coach Rodrigo.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So he was pretty much the coach that was there at the time and my cousin as well would train with him. So I was like, yeah, let me give it a shot, why not? I went in because I was and I had, you know, an open mind about it. I was like, let's try it out, let's see if I can pick up actually the game of paddle rather than just playing tennis on a paddle court. And yeah, I mean he was really great with getting me like invested in the sport, like he told me that he could see that I have the potential because of the tennis background. And when I had that first training I was like, wow, okay, like I see that I can pick up the ball, I can hit the shot, so let's try it out. So then I made it a habit to just go to trainings consistently and see where it goes from there.
Speaker 2:And then after that period I just joined a couple of tournaments. I entered the C-minus tournament for my first ever tournament and yeah, I mean the other girls didn't really have a background in any racket sports. So I managed to make it through in the tournament and it was great. I mean it was nice to see, to meet people, to get introduced to new people as well. But that's pretty much where it started for me. After I joined that one tournament and I kind of saw the level and how people were invested in it, it just inspired me. It inspired me to want to take it seriously and see the level and the community here in the UAE and I think that was kind of actually the benefit I would say a benefit and a challenge when I first entered the community. A benefit in the sense that it was already semi established. So obviously Paddle started off during the pandemic in 2020.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it really took off late 2020 in the.
Speaker 2:UAE? Yeah, definitely. And so by the time I entered the community, it felt like it was somewhat established. I mean, obviously, clubs were trying to still, there were still several clubs that were opening, there were still a lot of new players entering in, but there were some people who had started from 2020 and were continuing taking it seriously. So for me, when I joined the higher level tournaments, I realized, wow, okay, the level is really high here in the UAE and, like I'm still new to this, I was a bit intimidated. But I was like you know what, if I work hard, I'd be able to get to that level. And so that's kind of what drove me into taking it seriously and becoming more competitive in the sport.
Speaker 1:That's a great great mindset to have, and when you started taking it seriously at that time, were there a lot of women playing or were you finding it difficult to find women to play with in women's tournaments?
Speaker 2:Actually, no, at that time there was quite a few people playing. Every tournament had about, I'd say, 16 teams of sorts. It was quite full. I remember the first Open Sea tournament I played. It was full. And I I remember the first OpenSea tournament I played, it was full and I had to be on a wait list up until I could join because I registered last minute and so it was nice to see, I mean at that stage, entering that first OpenSea tournament where I was still relatively new to the sport. It was intimidating to see the level but again, very good to see that people were actually taking it seriously and that it was becoming competitive. Because for me I do enjoy the competitive aspect of the sport. I mean, the social part is also incredibly amazing. But for me, I grew up playing sports and so I always had that sense of competitiveness within me and just to see that the level was already there and there was something to reach to was a great drive for me.
Speaker 1:Do you think you're born competitive or do you think that's something that's developed?
Speaker 2:I think it's something that's developed. I would say you could have a passion towards competing and trying to push yourself in doing anything really, but at the same time, it's more your environment. That kind of drives you in a situation where you're like, oh well. Sometimes, for example, people will push you and say, oh well, this isn't your potential, you can reach your full potential. So in your mind you're like, oh okay. Like, if people think I am able to reach that stage, that kind of is also a form of drive for you to be like, oh well, okay, if that's what people see, then maybe I can see it for myself as well. So I think it's a bit of both. I think you can definitely have that sense of passion within you. I think that's what competition is for me. It's more of a sense of passion and at the same time, that can be developed with your environment and the people who push you forward.
Speaker 1:Basically, what's interesting is not once did you mention winning. When you talk about being competitive, you talk about getting better, improving and getting closer to other people's level. For me, competing is about winning. It's funny how, for different people, it's a very different thing, and I think you have a much healthier approach to it than me. If I'm going to compete, I want to win. If you're going to compete, you want to improve. Yes exactly Does that make sense?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, definitely. Because I mean early on, when I first started playing, I went through a lot of losses, a lot of games that I lost, a lot of women that I played against, where I was like there's no way I'm going to reach that level Absolutely no way. But I think with every loss it was a little bit of disappointment, but then it was also a shift in mindset, to be like I need to learn from this. You know, like there's nothing I can do but take this loss, see what I can do better the next time and try to move from there. And that's kind of how I see it.
Speaker 2:Every time I enter a tournament, I don't think about the end goal, and that's something I've been trying to teach myself. Never look at the end goal, because that's a pressure and a load on your shoulder that is unnecessary. You can just think about small goals along the way that can help you get to that ultimate big goal eventually. So I always try to focus on those small goals. So, for example, the only thing that's in my control is how I play right, not how my partner plays. So ultimately, I can't control whether we win or not. I can only control how I perform in that situation.
Speaker 2:So that's the way I view it Just having small goals along the way in the tournaments. For example, if I'm having an off day and my backhand isn't working, then I'll try to adjust and do something different, and that would be a small goal. If I'm able to succeed in that adjustment, then that's a win for me. So that's essentially how I see it and that's how I saw gradual improvements in my performance as well Just trying to be able to shift that mindset in terms of looking at things, not taking things too seriously, and trying to see the small things that you can do to help you reach that ultimate goal at the end.
Speaker 1:That's an amazing way to approach competition, and you mentioned about partners. How do you deal with it? Because you are on a court right. You are playing with a partner.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Your partner's not playing well. How do you deal with that?
Speaker 2:I mean, for me there's not really much I can do, right?
Speaker 2:I mean all I can do is support them and just be like do your best.
Speaker 2:Try to take off that pressure, try to remind them that I mean, ultimately, if you're too in your head and you're too preoccupied with the fact that you're in a tournament, you're not going to play your best game, especially if you're not feeling it today. So just think about it as a friendly game, a social game. Just try to play your game, do whatever you can do, and that's it. And at the same time, we try to strategize a little bit on how I can get more involved in the game. When my partner isn't feeling their best, or sometimes, you know, after a couple of games we'll step out of the court, have a little bit of a chat, see what we can do differently to, or see what I can do to lift my partner's spirits. So, yeah, I mean there's always a few things we try to do here and there, but my coaches always try to say if the other person is not, if your partner isn't feeling too great in this situation, try to get yourself more involved in the game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, try and move the ball back to your side. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:Try to play more across to get it back to you and try to filter the game in a way where you can have more of an effect, I guess in the points, so you can have more of an effect, I guess in the points. So yeah, that's pretty much, I guess, what I do. But in those situations it's really not in your control, right. All you can do is do these small, minor things and if you're able to succeed in that situation, then that's great, which I've had positive outcomes from that. But I've also had negative outcomes, which is okay. To be honest.
Speaker 2:I don't like to dwell on situations like that because I'm like I know there's going to be more opportunities and I know that everyone has their days sometimes. Sometimes you can be, you know, feeling it and everything is working in your favor, and other days it's like it's just not, and I think it's a matter of not letting yourself get too disappointed, or else you'll get too pressured with other tournaments, you'll start overthinking other tournaments. So that's kind of how I do it. I don't like to look at it or really try to dwell in in that kind of space. I just like to like kind of move on from it and see what we can do better next time.
Speaker 1:I do believe the teamwork and the mental teamwork side of the game is something that we don't focus on enough. There's a lot of bad partners the way people treat each other on the court, the attitude, the body language your partner misses a shot a lot of people instantly. You know they'll start getting frustrated. I feel it's a part of the game that we really don't talk about enough.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:And the higher it goes in level, the more competitive. Competitive, the more is at stake, the more you need to be there for your partner and to work as one brain together, not just as each an individual doing your own thing. I feel we often see it's like pinball on the court the ball's going all over the place, there's no strategy, there's no logic to where the ball should be going next, and you had an amazing experience as the first Emirati ranked player. How was that experience and how did you get there?
Speaker 2:Honestly, it's an incredible experience. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. So essentially, the way it happened is I saw this tournament and, honestly, I hadn't really even paid attention to it. It was posted on social media for like a week until I noticed it and then this girl reached out to me and was like, do you want to play the tournament? And I was like, okay, why not, let's do it. And so I didn't really know much about it. I didn't know how big the consequences of winning the tournament would be.
Speaker 1:So you didn't know what was at stake at the time.
Speaker 2:I did, but I didn't really sink in too much. Like I knew what a wild card was, I knew what it meant, but I didn't know too much and I didn't want to ask too much either. I was just like kind of going with the flow. At that point I had a few trainings on my belt so I was pretty much into the sport. I had all of my paddle shots, but still obviously not too familiar with the glass as much as I would have liked to be. But I was like, why not, let's do it.
Speaker 2:And so we ended up entering that tournament and it was a UAE Nationals category wildcard tournament. And that wildcard was supposed to like if you won that UAE Nationals category, you would play in the main draw of the World Pad paddle tour that was hosted in Abu Dhabi. And so again, I kind of knew that, but at the same time it didn't really sink in. I was just like, let's go and play this tournament, let's see how it turns out. So I ended up playing the tournament with the partner that I, you know, connected with at the time. We'd been playing a couple of friendly games at that point. So we were like let's go ahead and try it and we entered that tournament and thankfully we had good results and we ended up winning, which was amazing. It was entirely nerve wracking because at the point where we reached the finals was when I knew what was at stake, and so that must have added a lot of pressure to you on the final game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, quite a lot of pressure to you on the yeah, yeah, quite a bit of pressure, and at first it was it started. It started off a little bit rocky and then I got into it. Try to try to stay focused. Again, like I mentioned, those small goals, I really try to focus on those to try to get myself in the game and out of my head. And at that point, when we won the tournament and they told us that we were going to play in the main draw of the World Paddle Tour against the number ones in the world, which was Was the draw already set at that time?
Speaker 2:No, actually not at the time, but they told us we were going to play in the main draw and just a week after, I think, we found out that we were playing Arianna and Paola the number ones in the world.
Speaker 1:And how did you feel when you realized that?
Speaker 2:to me. I was like well, we did the first part, which is win the wildcard tournament, which was really the only thing that I was focused on. Yeah, and so at that point I was too happy with the results that came out of that tournament that I was like this is, I mean, it's just going to be an experience right to enter that court to play in an international tournament. Um, and so for me, um, one of the coaches so alias coach at the time ended up joining us for the tournament in the wildcard tournament uh, not the wildcard tournament, sorry, the world paddle tour tournament and she gave us a piece of advice. She's like just enter and have fun, enjoy.
Speaker 2:Uh, play your best, try to focus on keeping the ball in as much as you possibly can and just have fun.
Speaker 2:This is an opportunity of a lifetime. Obviously, you're playing against the number ones in the world. It's not going to be too much of a competitive game, but go in with the mindset of you're going to learn and use it as a form of motivation to see what the level is internationally and to see what could come out of this, which is basically a bunch of more trainings and a bunch of more games and tournaments that came out of that, because once I played that tournament the World Paddle Tour it really showed me that there's so many more opportunities and tournaments that I want to participate in, and it just fueled the passion for paddle even more. So I'm very grateful for the experience and since then, just knowing that I entered that court representing my country, it's something that I wanted to do more often. So since then it's just been me trying to find more tournaments that I can go to internationally and try to compete in a more global scale. So, whether it's GCC tournaments or international tournaments, basically, amazing.
Speaker 1:And how was the level?
Speaker 2:uh, in the world paddle tour.
Speaker 1:Yeah, in that match like, compared to your expectations of obviously the number one in the world. Right, you expect them to play very, very well, but how was it actually being on the court facing them?
Speaker 2:to be fair, they knew that we were new to the sport relatively new and they knew that we were wild cards, um. So they were being nice, on court, to say the least. Um, they were. I mean, they were obviously trying to win every point, but at the same time they were trying to give us a, a fun game. So we, I mean for me, I just went in with the mindset of go for it, just hit all of your shots, don't hesitate, just do whatever it is that you know how to do and do it well. That was pretty much it, and I was able to win some nice points which I still have saved on my phone, very few actually, but yeah, those are just amazing memories to have just to be on that court and to compete with such a level, and especially these like the number ones in the world which I completely look up to. I mean, I love their game, their dynamic is a duo and it was just nice to see that on court, I guess, against, I mean on the opponent's side, which is incredible.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, I mean, people pay money to go and watch them play and you got to play against them, yeah.
Speaker 2:And incredible. Well, yeah, I mean people pay money to go and watch them play and you got to play against them, yeah, and that is an amazing experience, honestly.
Speaker 1:Yeah, an opportunity of a lifetime really one that I will never forget.
Speaker 2:What do you think makes them so good? Um, I think just how they communicate on court, like the dynamic between the two I mean both of them. I mean, ariana is extremely consistent, right, like she's super consistent as a left side player, and then Paola comes with that incredible power as a left-handed player, and I think that also gives them a bit of an advantage, because they end up being a very aggressive couple, and that's good in women's paddle, because obviously you need that consistency and you need that power as well. Both of these things are really important and they have it pretty much sorted out between the two of them, and so it's really nice to watch how sometimes Ariana will end up building the point for Paola, even though she's the left side player, right, and sometimes Paola will do that for Ariana as well, and it's nice to see that they both have that dynamic where they can support each.
Speaker 2:And it's nice to see that they both have that dynamic where they can support each other in the same ways, and they both have different tools that they can use when things aren't working, and that's what I love. So when they have days where things aren't going too well, they'll lift each other up, they're always smiling on court, and you just always see them having a great time, even if things aren't going their way. And just always see them having a great time even if things aren't going their way, and that's kind of what helps them essentially. So it's more like okay, what tools can we get out of our pockets to make sure that we can compensate for the things that aren't working? And they do that perfectly as a couple, I think so.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they are a great pairing and they actually do seem to look like they have fun on court as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they do.
Speaker 1:And how do you think the women's game varies from the men's game?
Speaker 2:um because you compete with men.
Speaker 2:Right, you play against men, I do, I do um, I think it's quite different in the sense that maybe on the woman's side, um, a lot of us come from tennis backgrounds.
Speaker 2:So when you're playing at a higher level in the women's side, it's like a lot of us play with a lot of power, and I think that's something that maybe we can all kind of work on a little bit. Something I'm working on actually is just having different speeds to my shots, rather than just going and whacking every shot, just trying to hit more drop shots, try to play with more strategy and try to improve my decision making, and I think that's what you see just generally on the women's side A lot of people playing still relatively playing tennis on the court, having a little bit of padel now, since they're all training and all of that. But yeah, I think the speed of the game is quite fast on the women's side when you look at it at a higher level. And I think on the men's side it is a little bit similar, I would say in that sense, a lot of them do come from tennis backgrounds as well, but then you also see a lot of people who have started off purely from paddle but have really dedicated a lot of their time and and they've put a lot of hard work into training so they've managed to reach a really high level, which is incredible. So it's nice to see that difference, I guess, with with the men, where you have some people who are playing extremely fast, some people who are more strategic and building the point.
Speaker 2:So for me, because I've played with with quite a few men on the mix side, I don't have a fixed partner on the mix side. I do just tend to play with people who I connect with off court. Um, I've played with people I mean I played with with, um, with some men that are more strategic, so they'll try to build the point a little bit more and I've played with men who have had a tennis background, where they're a little bit more powerful, just trying to finish every point as it comes. So, yeah, I mean you do see quite a difference between the men and the women's side, but it is relatively the same as well.
Speaker 2:So, just people trying to. Since the sport is only four years old, people are still trying to get into that mindset of unlearning the sports that they previously used to play and just try to focus more on paddle and how they can become better paddle players Because for me, the way I see it is, you can only reach so far if you're sticking to your roots and you're sticking to the skills that you've learned from previous racket sports, for example, tennis, squash, badminton, whatever it may be. It gives you a base, but you then have to kind of unlearn a few things to be able to become a better paddle player.
Speaker 1:It's true, coming from tennis, when a ball comes quickly at you, your first instinct is to block that ball, isn't it? It's not to use the glass.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It takes a lot of time to break those habits of using the glass, using the space, slowing down the game.
Speaker 2:Definitely.
Speaker 1:And all these kind of things. Let's get into a juicy topic, get into a juicy topic tell me let's talk about mixed doubles okay okay because I get this question a lot. There's a lot of mixed doubles tournaments and I love playing mixed doubles. I think it's fun. And being left-handed playing on the right I find it interesting because often I end up playing in the diagonal with the girl. So it kind of changes the dynamic of the game and the points become really entertaining. Um, is it okay to smash at the woman?
Speaker 2:Wow, yeah, that is a juicy question. I'll give it to you. Yeah, it is allowed. I think it should be that way. I mean, that's how they would do it in from what my coaches would say that's how they do it in Argentina. That's how they do it in Spain. So, if that's how the sport was built up and that was the rules and that's how we should do it here, you know, in the UAE, and for me, the way I see it is, yes, you can smash towards the girl, but and at some point maybe the girl will get hit but you need to know what the intention of the other person is as well. Like, are you just doing it out of anger towards the other guy that you're losing against, and you're just trying to smash for the sake of smashing and you end up hitting the person deliberately?
Speaker 2:yeah, context is everything as well isn't it depends on the level of the players I mean a lot of the mixed doubles matches that I've played um.
Speaker 1:The woman has been the stronger player, so you need to hit the ball harder and you're not physically aiming for them, but you know it has to be competitive like you mentioned, that context and the intention is not just something that should be valid on mixed double tournaments.
Speaker 2:It should be valid on ladies tournaments, on men's tournaments, whatever it may be like. That can give you a warning, you know if you're doing it with bad intentions or anything like that. But otherwise, I mean that's part of the sport, right, like smashing is part of the sport. If I give you you an easy lob, you're entitled to smash it. So definitely, it definitely is the way it's supposed to be and I think that's becoming a little bit more accepted now with the higher level people, especially in mixed doubles tournaments, because it's like you have people who are spectating and watching. So you know when something is done because it's part of the sport versus when it's done because of other intentions.
Speaker 1:You know yeah, it's that fine line of what's malicious and what's competitive exactly, exactly, but yeah, no, I definitely think it should be allowed for sure. Well, if anyone's playing mixed doubles against you, you know what's going to happen. And so, as as paddle grows in the uae and it has exponentially I imagine you didn't expect paddle to grow the way that it has been over the past, let's say four or five years yeah, it's incredible really, how do you think we can get more emirates involved in the sport?
Speaker 1:because I feel maybe this is just me as a manager, maybe it's just the demographic that we have here is that the interest in paddle with the Emiratis is. It really took off. It's kind of plateaued and some are starting to lose a little bit of interest. Now they're moving away from the sport yeah. I don't have to find other interests, but how do we bring a new wave of players to the sport?
Speaker 2:yeah, I mean, like you said, like bringing that new wave of players will start with the future generation, right, like the people who are starting young. And what I'm seeing now in the club that I train is a lot of people, a lot of Emiratis, are coming that are kids, and I love to see it because I'm like, okay, that's the future generation and they're looking at the community as it is now and hopefully that will inspire them to be able to reach a higher level when they grow older. But yeah, essentially, like you mentioned, it was a trend and it took an upward scale and now it's become more competitive. So for some people who had initially started because it was fun and it was a trend and let's try something new, it's become a lot more competitive and not a lot of people are very into that competition and I think that's why we see a general like decline or for a while it was like straight and now it's slightly going down. Where you said, people are losing interest in all of that because the level has become quite high and if you're entering just to the paddle community now and you're thinking to compete, it can be really intimidating to see the level that's already established. Um, but I think I mean, I think it's it's only going to be a challenge, right, it's a challenge, but you can overcome it if you do the right trainings and if you work hard, um, and all of that. So I think really the way that then the future generation should see it, or the way that clubs should do, actually, is just try to be more inviting to to the younger generation.
Speaker 2:So there's not many tournaments happening where it's like under 14, under 16, like that's kind of how it was when I used to play tennis, because I started off really young, so there was a lot of tournaments that were like under 12, under under 14, under 16. And that pushed me because I was like, oh okay, I get to grow older and play in the other category, or, oh, I get to see the level of these people and try to reach where they would be. And I think that's something that would inspire more people to want to enter the sport and become a little bit more competitive if they were to see that there was more options available basically for for the younger people. And yeah, essentially that's how I see that we can. We can drive more people into the sport just becoming more focused on the generation to come, because at the moment, if you see the community, it's just um.
Speaker 2:You do see like varied ages, but at the same time you can see that they're more older, more matured players, and I think it's just because it's still so new. Like you mentioned, it's only four years old and hopefully with time we'll start seeing younger people competing. So people at the age of 16 coming in playing B-minus tournaments or anything like that. That would be amazing to see. I know that's already happening on the men's side, but on the women's side.
Speaker 2:I hope to see that a lot.
Speaker 1:I don't think I've seen any under 18 women's tournaments.
Speaker 2:No, not at all.
Speaker 1:But then you can't start with the tournament right, there needs to be the training.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:If you just put the tournament but no one's playing, then it's like the chicken and the egg right, one of them needs to come first. Yeah, um, and we've tried and failed with especially juniors since I mean since we opened to the past two years, you know, every year we try and get the junior academy going and it's difficult because paddle still isn't the main sport of these kids, so they all have football or tennis and it has to fit into that schedule and they want to be with other kids of their level, their age and it and it's challenging and I don't quite think we're there yet, but obviously it's the future of the sport, isn't it? And that's what we need to push as much as we can.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:And we would love to see more young women playing paddle. Emirati, not Emirati, I still feel here in padel, because we have the data at least I can say that say that we do have 70 of the players are men, yeah, whereas that doesn't necessarily make sense because it's a sport that everybody can play. So we need to put in more effort from our side as well to balance that out a little bit more. Yeah, what do you think we can do to help women's paddle adults, not kids, this time?
Speaker 2:um, I think just probably um introduce more tournaments.
Speaker 2:So I know you guys do a couple of tournaments um in a year for women's, but maybe try to make weekly tournaments or anything of that sort.
Speaker 2:Like, I know a group of the the women um, who compete at a high level at the moment are trying to do more weekly tournaments on their own.
Speaker 2:So so more of a social thing every Friday to kind of just build the community and try to get more people in playing at a high level, which I find to be amazing, honestly, because it just brings in that it brings in more people who are usually more afraid to play in more serious tournaments, and so it brings in that social aspect but at the same time you can compete and you can do that at a really high level. So I think that's something that would be nice if you guys can introduce those kind of tournaments where it's more, you know, social but at the same time it doesn't have to have like really high prize money or anything like that. It can be just focused on competition but at the same time, getting people together and getting more people into the sport. Getting people together and getting more people into the sport, and I think that's what it is, because sometimes, when you have tournaments with high prize money, all of the high level players are going to want to go, which fair enough.
Speaker 1:And in the UA it's about four people that are going to win those tournaments. Right, you know who those people are in advance and they're going to play together because they want to get the money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly so. It's nice to have tournaments sometimes. I've been seeing a lot of clubs actually do that nowadays, where they just don't really have prize money or don't put a high prize money and try to have other rewards instead to get more people into the sport, which I find to be quite nice actually.
Speaker 1:I think it creates a better environment for the tournament and also you have a more balanced level exactly because higher level players aren't going to join tournaments to win a backpack exactly yeah, which I think is the game. What we want right People to be competing and having fun at their level.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think now, because it's the summertime and obviously there's a lot of downtime with people traveling, there are quite a bit of those tournaments coming up where there's no prize money. It's more of a social thing. You're still competing at a high level and you get more people to come and join in when you see those kind of tournaments, which is interesting actually. So it's good to have the balance. You know, obviously it's nice to have those really high competitive tournaments with prize money and all of that stuff, because the level is higher, you can push yourself and all of that. But then it's also nice to have those tournaments where it's more social and also you get that aspect of competition, but in a healthy way and in a way where everyone's just trying to support and uplift each other's levels.
Speaker 1:Basically, at the very beginning you mentioned you were in London studying yeah did you like London?
Speaker 2:I loved it really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I really did that's so nice to hear.
Speaker 2:I really, really enjoyed it. I mean, those four years were amazing and you learn so much when you live alone. You learn so much about yourself, about you know how to take care of yourself when you're alone. So, yeah, it was incredible. And at that time actually, when I was in London, they did have one paddle academy and it was all the way in Stratford. I don't know if you've.
Speaker 1:That's where Paula was working. I think Really yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, amazing, yeah, so just about there. I think that, and like a couple of courts in heights park and regents park, and that was about it.
Speaker 1:Basically, it's grown a little bit since then, but yeah, not really yeah, I mean, but you do.
Speaker 2:You do have some really high level players from the uk coming up at the moment, which is nice to see I mean paddling.
Speaker 1:The uk should should take off because the amount of money that the lta pumps into tennis and now they're allocating some funds into paddle, taking time to build courts etc. But I think we'll get there. We'll get there. I mean, hopefully within the next five to 10 years we'll see non-Spanish and non-Argentinian players in the top 50 at least and hopefully from the UAE.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's definitely hopefully something that the federation is working towards building Emirati talents and I think that's going to come out a lot with the younger generation, as I mentioned. So hopefully in the next couple of years we can see that increase in competitive level with Emiratis. That's ultimately, I guess, the goal with playing paddle and with having the sport being so big here in the UAE.
Speaker 1:And what are your goals in paddle?
Speaker 2:For me it's genuinely right now. It's just focusing on my trainings. At the moment, I do have a fixed partner on the ladies side, so we train together and we try to build our skills. And, yeah, I mean, we try to see what we can do better. And since we do constantly play in tournaments, we do know the level that is to come in these tournaments. So we just try to, like I say, if we won, we try to analyze what we did right. If we lost, we try to analyze what we can do better as a team and just try to build that.
Speaker 2:And at the same time, for me, I'm working on myself physically as well. So going to the gym, which is something that people forget about in paddle, like you do need to have Fair enough, but I really do think that a lot of times when you want to play at a higher level, you do need to work on your physique as well, not just not how you look, but how you feel and how you're moving on court. That is extremely important and to try to strengthen your muscles. Paddle is terrible for your body sometimes. I mean for your knees, your ankles, your back, your shoulders. A lot of my physiotherapists told me that he's gotten a lot of business since paddle has started. Fair enough to that.
Speaker 2:But for me, I've always been an advocate of health, and so physical training is really important to build those muscles but also to move better on court. So this is what I'm really trying to focus on now, because I've recently gotten into it and it's been really, really good for me on court and also how quickly I recover after tournaments and all of that. So that's been incredible. But apart from that, of course, it's trying to gauge what big tournaments are coming up in the year. So I have been competing a lot more in the GCC. So I went to Qatar twice for a tournament and I went to Kuwait once and it's fun. I mean, it's nice to see a different community.
Speaker 1:How's the level in the other countries?
Speaker 2:In Kuwait it's actually quite high. It's a high level. In Qatar, I would say, they're slightly more conservative, so on the women's side they just kind of compete amongst each other, whereas I think here in the UAE, because it's a lot more open and you do get those mixed tournaments and those opportunities, then the level does get higher. I mean, when I play in mixed doubles tournaments and I constantly get the ball towards me so that they can avoid my partner, it helps me grow as a player and I think that's definitely an advantage. And so I would say Kuwait, bahrain, saudi, qatar, they're all doing really good. Actually, their federations are doing amazing to make sure that the players are growing as much as they can. Considering it's a relatively new sport with them as well, you do see that the level is quite good.
Speaker 1:Saudi are doing a lot for paddle. They have the Saudi games and huge prize money and they're putting a lot into the federation. It's great to see that the countries in the region are really putting a lot of effort into paddle and throughout the Gulf world really.
Speaker 2:That's the thing. That's why I like to go compete in the GCC, because they're doing so many things, so many new initiatives with Paddle. They do one of their clubs, for example, that's based in Saudi, qatar and Kuwait. It's called Paddle Inn, and so they do this tour across these three GCC countries and they'll just have monthly tournaments. They'll have majors, challengers, a lot of these like high level tournaments, and then you have so many people coming from Kuwait, saudi, uae. I go personally to play in those tournaments because it's good to see these new faces. It's good to see the level that's there as well, because it does tend to be quite high. So it's always fun to play in those tournaments and you've competed for the uae as a country um, not on a, not not like on a national team level.
Speaker 2:It's more of a personal thing, but not on the national team. No, no, it was, it's more so. Those paddle in tournaments are more of an individual, personal thing that you tend to do.
Speaker 1:But there was a GCC Cup right.
Speaker 2:There was, I think about two years ago, I think right when I joined the paddle community there was a World Cup paddle tournament and the UAE was participating in that.
Speaker 1:Both men and women. I believe at that time, both men and women, yeah.
Speaker 2:But at that time I hadn't really known about the sport or even tried it at that point.
Speaker 1:Well, hopefully you'll be ready for the next one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. Those are some things that I look forward to, so hopefully, if there's any next World Cup or any other international tournaments that happen to come to the UAE and there happens to be another wildcard opportunity, then I'd love to participate in those yeah um, but yeah, essentially, I know that the federation has a plan for what the sport can be and I know there's a lot of big events coming up, so I try to stay as ready as I possibly can for those tournaments.
Speaker 2:Um, try to stay on the lookout, obviously. Um, I mean, the level again here in the UAE is incredible. So it's good for you to challenge yourself and learn and there's always opportunities for growth here, which is amazing.
Speaker 1:Definitely, I agree 100% with you. If you were to say there's one person who has influenced you in your paddle journey, who would that be?
Speaker 2:Hmm, I mean one person. That's quite hard. There has been a lot of people in my journey who have helped me reach where I've reached, but I would say obviously, I mean I will point out a couple of people. So, first thing, my parents, who have always supported me from day one. When they saw me compete in my first tournament, they saw how happy it made me and they were always supportive of that, even though I'd miss a couple of family occasions or gatherings or any of that sort. But they were never mad at me or anything like that. They were always like if this is what you love to do, then go do it, and that's something that I'm grateful for, because I do have my day job and I do have other things that I'm passionate about, but they always help me find time for paddle and they always support me with that. So that's, they've been incredible with that.
Speaker 2:I think another thing is obviously at the moment being with 700, they've been incredible. The coaches there are super passionate about the sport. They I do have a coach at the moment that helps me with strategy and decision-making, and then I have another coach that helps me with technique and movement. So it's nice to see the experience that they've brought with them here into the UAE, because all of them have come from Argentina, so they've carried years and years of experience with them from Argentina into the UAE. So I just feel like I have the right resources at the moment and they've helped me with. They saw the potential in me and they took me in and they've given me everything that I've needed up until this point to reach where I've reached. So extremely grateful for that. And obviously I started off at Paddle Point. They were the first people who actually saw my potential, so they took me in. But Paddle Point is absolutely an incredible place with having that family community because they were the first ever indoor club to open in the US.
Speaker 1:They just celebrated their fourth anniversary, didn't?
Speaker 2:they, yeah, incredible, really incredible, what they've achieved in those four years and what they've done for the community. So that's been a great place to start and to be where I am today. I attribute to those people who helped me reach where I've reached along the way. I attribute to those people who helped me reach where I've reached along the way I mean literally even. I would even say like I would, I would thank my opponents, the people who have made me more competitive. So, yeah, definitely I would say the competition does fuel you a little bit when you realize, oh wow, like the level is over here, I want to be where those people are. And when you lose occasionally to the same people, you're like, okay, well, this is the person that is basically motivating me to want to push myself even harder. So, yeah, definitely a lot of people that have helped me reach where I've reached today.
Speaker 1:Is there a specific player that you always lose to? Yeah?
Speaker 2:Hmm, from the women's side, I would say the team that has become unstoppable is Lisa Blake and G. Okay, yeah, them two together are an incredible pair. So yeah, before the summer period they were playing a couple of tournaments together and they were doing incredible. So yeah, they're the ones that are definitely on the lookout for all the other girls, from all the other girls at least.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you'll get them next time, hopefully. How often are you training at the moment?
Speaker 2:So I do paddle trainings twice a week and then I do physical training twice a week and then in between those I try to play some friendly games, and obviously on weekends minus the summer period because obviously there's a lot of downtime with tournaments I compete in the tournaments probably.
Speaker 2:I try to limit them to one or two a weekend, because then it gets too exhausting, and I always make sure that I have a rest day once a week, which happens to be on Mondays for me, okay, and because I think your body just generally needs to refuel.
Speaker 2:And at the same time, as much as paddle is fun and it's a great sport, it does take a lot of your mental effort, especially with me, because I have a day job and so it's super hard to shut your brain. So even when you're entering a paddle court, you always need to think about you know, what are the consequences of my shot, how is it going to affect me, how is it going to affect my partner, how is it you know, like, what shot should I take at this specific time? So there's a lot of things you think about and people don't realize that it is quite taxing on your mind. So you do need a day to kind of detox and take a break from thinking, which is what I like to do. Just kind of not do anything on Monday apart from go to my job, come home and just rest, be a lazy couch potato.
Speaker 1:What did you do outside of paddle and outside of work? What are your hobbies?
Speaker 2:So one thing that I got into right after I graduated from uni, when I moved to Dubai, is I became a certified life coach. So, yeah, I've always been into mental health. I've always been into taking care of your mind, your body and all of that, and how the environment affects the way you think and the way you perceive things and all of that. So I got into that, I took a course and I became certified.
Speaker 2:So that's something that I do, um, I'm not doing it professionally at the moment, I am still training um, but essentially, the goal is to just make the UAE a little bit more open with the idea of, you know, I wouldn't say like just I would say like improving the quality of life in terms of the way you think and the way you take care of your body and the way you view different things, and I think it's.
Speaker 2:You do see, that the UAE has become a little bit more open in that sense in that regard, that the UAE has become a little bit more open in that sense, in that regard, whereas mental health used to not be the most common topic for people. But at the moment you do see, in the coming generation, that a lot of people are talking about mental health, but the previous generations still have a hard time grasping the concept of mental health and how that affects different things in your life. So that is something that I want to try to push forward a little bit more the idea of mental health and how that affects different areas in your life.
Speaker 1:Do you think it's because, as a generation, our mental health is worse than the previous generation, or do you just think there was a stigma in discussing these kind of things at that time?
Speaker 2:I think there definitely was a stigma. I think at the time there was no one really advocating for mental health, so no one was really considering it at all. So people were just shutting out their emotions, not really, or doing other things in turn, for example, like a lot of people would drown themselves in work or any of that sort, whatever it is that they would deal with their mental health. But at the moment, because there's a lot of awareness towards mental health, I think people have started being able to analyze what doesn't make them feel good. What makes them feel good. So a lot of times it's also in your head of like kind of society getting in the way of how you view different things and all of that, and people are just becoming more hyper aware of how different things affect their day-to-day. So, yeah, I mean I would definitely say there was a stigma before, but also there was a lack of awareness about mental health in the previous generations, whereas now it's become an over awareness of mental health and its importance in everything that you do. Basically, basically.
Speaker 1:But where is this awareness coming from?
Speaker 2:Social media, I would say, has been a big drive when it comes to mental health. A lot of public figures have been talking about the importance of mental health, taking a break from their careers because of mental health, and a lot of companies and jobs at the moment are giving employees leaves for mental health. So a lot of these things are happening with well. Like you mentioned as well, it also has been that people's mental health have deteriorated a lot more Obviously, the pandemic has come in, which made people, I guess, more aware of themselves, because, I mean, you were literally locked up for pretty much a year and a half, two years trying to figure out who you are, what's important to you and all of that. A lot of people had tried to discover what their purpose is and all of that. So that became, I think, a crucial point as well for mental health and understanding what that means and how you can navigate past it basically.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I think those things have definitely contributed towards increasing the awareness of mental health in general in the community I think about this a lot and how we're still supposed to work an eight, nine hour day yeah which is what you know we've been doing since the normal shifts have come into play, maybe the past 60 years.
Speaker 1:However, we're so much more productive than we were 20, 30, 40 years ago. I can do more work laying in my bed, when I wake up, on my phone, than what someone could do maybe 20, 30 years ago in a nine hour shift. So I believe obviously I'm not minister of labor and no one really cares what I think, but I believe our workday should be a lot shorter, because we can achieve so much in a short amount of time and we receive so much information in a short amount of time. Think about it when you wake up and you open your phone, the amount of information that you're getting, from messages to emails to social media, in the first 30 minutes of you being awake is unbelievable. I don't think our brain can even process that level of information.
Speaker 2:No, I completely agree with you. I do think we do work quite longer than we should be considering. Like you said, as human beings we're able to kind of cram things into a couple of hours and get everything done for the day and move on. But I think it just depends. It's a preference thing as well, right, like you could do that. I personally can do that as well, like I'm the kind of person who once I get a task, I like to get it over and done with and move to the next thing. Or if I don't have anything, I'll just kind of go grab a meal, speak to some colleagues and all of that. But I think that's what it is right.
Speaker 2:Like some people have different work styles. So some people like to do a task, go for a walk, go grab a meal, go speak to a colleague and then come back, do the other tasks. So it really depends, I guess, on what you're looking for in the workplace as well and how, and, I guess, the nature of how you work, right. So I think that's why that's still a thing the eight to nine hours, because it is the difference in how people work. And some people like if you give people shorter periods of time at work. Some people might take advantage of that and not really get much done and say that they'll do it the next day and have to procrastinate and all of that. So I guess it really just depends from person to person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's true, how old are you now? 23, 23, okay, I know you're not supposed to ask a woman how old are you now?
Speaker 2:23 23.
Speaker 1:Okay, I know you're not supposed to ask a woman how old she is, but anyway, I do what you're not supposed to it's okay in the ua. I've been here 10 years now, yeah, since you were 13 um in your lifetime. So much has changed in this country. It's developed unbelievably. How have you seen that change in your lifetime in the UAE? It's like your earliest memories to now. How different is the UAE?
Speaker 2:I think before it was the way it is, the way you'd see Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, so more of like the gateway to like getting a little bit more quiet time or having less busy roads and all of that. So that's kind of how Dubai was. It was more quiet, it was more just. You know, like you did, have you always had a lot of people from all over the world come into Dubai because obviously it's easy to do business, it's a great place to live for several reasons, including safety and all of that. But at that time it was still not, I guess, as easy to come into the UAE as it is now. So it was a lot more quiet and it was a lot more peaceful, I would say, on the roads trying to get from place to place. That's kind of what's changed a little bit. I would say Now it's become a little bit more loud and I'd say it's become, which is a good thing actually. I'd say it's become, which is a good thing actually, because it's also become more.
Speaker 2:It's become more competitive in a way as well, because you have so many people living here in the UAE and everyone's trying to chase after a dream right, or to try to be here for a specific reason, whether it's to work for a company, to open your own business, to do whatever it is that you want to do so you always feel like people are constantly going on to the next thing and on to the next thing. So it's become very competitive, which is something that I found quite similar in London, by the way, which is why it felt so similar to home, because a lot of people are always moving from one place to another, trying to be productive, trying to do things, and I think that's what's changed Before it used to be you have a job, you go to your job and that's it. There wasn't really, I think. Now people are hustling to try to open their own businesses, to try to do things outside of just work and all of that.
Speaker 2:So it's just that's, I think, how it's definitely changed, and obviously it's become a lot more technologically advanced in Dubai, more futuristic, incredible projects that are being worked on at the moment. That is good for our future, um, which is amazing to see. Um, so, yeah, I guess that's kind of the change that I've seen. But how was your experience, I wonder, in the 10 years that you've been here?
Speaker 1:I mean I have the most standard story of anyone, of any british person who came to dubai. Yeah, I came here, thought I'd stay for six months. Um, got married twice, divorced twice, had a child, got into a load of debt yeah couldn't leave.
Speaker 1:And now I'm still here and I love it and I love this country so much. But the biggest change that I've seen in the 10 years that I've been here is when I first got here and myself included everybody came to Dubai to make money. Yeah, you come here, you make money, you. Everybody came to.
Speaker 2:Dubai to make money.
Speaker 1:You come here, you make money, you go back to your home country. I feel that mindset, especially in the past few years, has really changed. People move to Dubai because they love living in Dubai and they want to be in Dubai. It's not about just the economical benefits and then leaving. People want to settle and stay myself included, I mean mean I have no intention of leaving the UAE, my it's my home and I really feel a part of of the country and I feel that's really a mindset shift that we've seen in the past few years. Have you seen that?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, 100% definitely, and I think that's something. What you mentioned is exactly what I've been hearing from a lot of people. So every time I meet someone that's from literally anywhere in the world, I'll always, always ask them what brought you to Dubai, and everyone says the same thing. You said I thought I was going to be here for six months to a year and I'm here for 15 years now, or something like that, and I'm like, wow, incredible. It's just nice to see.
Speaker 2:Like you mentioned, dubai has a lot to offer and the government makes it extremely easy for people to come in to do business and to obviously increase or expand the economy in the UAE, but at the same time, it's also creating the right environment for people. I think the UAE has become extremely welcoming with everyone and there's a community for everyone. Like you know, obviously, the locals have their sense and their pride in the country and their, I guess, their ways of living. That's always going to become standard. But then there's also other things. There's everything for everyone.
Speaker 2:That's what I would say, and I think that's become the beauty of it how accessible everything is to everyone, how easy it is to travel, how easy it is to find jobs Like it's just become a very open environment for everyone and not just for the locals, which is something that's beautiful, I mean. I personally love that. I love the fact that it's become so diverse and that a lot of people are more motivated to stay here long term. People are more motivated to stay here long term, um, and it brings up a lot of um. It brings up a lot of, I guess, opportunities for the country as well to have more people come in business wise, but also in the sense of the ue has a great reputation and what it offers to everyone not just to them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it has. Um, there's a lot of opportunity here, right for everybody, yeah, and in europe it's the opposite. It's getting worse. So as the uae gets better and europe gets worse, the desire to be in the uae grows, grows, even bigger. When you were in london, what was the perception that people had of the uae at that time? Oh when you told them oh, I'm from dubai what did they think?
Speaker 2:Some people asked the weirdest questions, like did you used to ride a camel to school? Did you? No, no, I did not. But yeah, those are the kind of questions I would get. But also, at the same time, it's like people ask me how I live in.
Speaker 2:People say that Dubai is quite artificial. Like how do you live somewhere that's so artificial? And I'm like are you kidding? Like it's not artificial, it's more like a way of easing everyone's lifestyle and making everything easy for everyone else.
Speaker 2:And I think essentially, when people see the outside of Dubai, they get intimidated by what it is. But then when you come in and you meet people and you start talking and you start being a part of different communities, you realize how welcoming and open it is and how there's literally everything for everyone. And I think that's a that's a beauty about it really. And I that's what I was trying to convey to those people that like come see it for yourself and you'll understand what I mean. But essentially I would always tell them yeah, it is, it is a cool place.
Speaker 2:A lot of people would say it's a really cool place, like I really want to visit and all of that. But a lot of people also have the perception that it's extremely expensive, which it is. It definitely is, but you can definitely live on a budget in Dubai. I would think so, and I think the perception internationally is that, oh, dubai is so expensive I would never be able to afford being there or living there or anything of that sort. But I wonder how that is for you. Would you agree with what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yes, I would agree that it's expensive.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:But also it depends on how much you earn. So if I was to do what I'm doing in Europe, I would make a lot less money. But interestingly, as my parents visit every three months and I can't keep them away from the UAE because they love it here they say that the difference in pricing even groceries and all these things it's not as big as it used to be. Europe is getting more and more expensive as well, and when you add on the taxes and all these things, it depends if you're, if you have three, four kids or you're you're getting older in life. Dubai probably not the best place because schooling is expensive, yeah, and health care is expensive. But if you are young, you know single, or you have just you and your wife or your husband and you come here. It's a great place to be because you can do a lot with your money and, like you said, there is everything for every budget. There's a thing called the British lifestyle, which is a very expensive lifestyle. If you choose to live the British lifestyle always going out and dinners and parties yes, you can spend as much money as you want in Dubai for every single budget. You can eat for five dirhams. You can eat for 5,000 dirhams. The choice is yours at the end of the day, what you do with that money.
Speaker 1:And for having visited a lot of the countries in this area, there's a lot of misconceptions, I find, about the locals as well. I find the Emiratis to be very, very kind. Honestly. The Saudis, in my opinion, are the most generous, are the most welcoming. Nothing against the Emiratis, but they will literally drag you into their home and force feed you. I don't know if it's culturally a little bit different, because in Saudi the majority of the population is saudi, unlike here, where it's a majority of expats. So a lot of people don't necessarily have the same interaction with with the emiratis.
Speaker 1:And back to our main topic, which is paddle yeah I feel paddle has brought down a lot of walls between the expat community and the local community as well, because outside of paddle, not a lot of people were having much interaction with the local population, whereas I feel the Paddle has transcended all of these barriers, which is amazing.
Speaker 2:It's incredible and that's probably my favorite part about it how diverse it is and, at the same time, how much I'm meeting people that I wouldn't have necessarily ever met if it was outside of Paddle, which is Like it's nice to see that so many people from all over the world are moving to Dubai and this has become their home, and that there's one community and one thing, which is paddle, that is binding us all together and that's what we always talk about.
Speaker 2:Every time you know I hang out with some of the paddle people, we always talk about it. Oh, I wouldn't have never known who you were had it not been for paddle, and I think that's also, ultimately, one of my favorite things about the sport and what it's done for the UAE is it's brought a lot of people together and it's created a lot of friendships and I just I love that. I love that part of it, and I think you end up learning so much from other people when you just have a single conversation with someone that's, you know, lived a different life than you have. So I think that's honestly been probably one of the best things that's come out of Paddle just having that integration between the expats and the locals and just having fun and enjoying spending time together and competing on courts together and going out afterwards and just getting to know each other for what we do and what we do off the court, not just on the court, basically, and so, yeah, that's the part that I really do enjoy the most about padel.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I mean we started the conversation with the social aspect of it. And do you have friends that you've taken from padel and you spend time with outside of the sport as well?
Speaker 2:Oh, so many, so many, so many. I mean, every time there's like a social game or something like that, we always end up going for a coffee or a meal or anything like that and we just end up connecting on something that we never would have known that we had in common, for example. You know, and I think that's it just brings out the best in people sometimes, when you are opening your mind to other things because you know with with people, sometimes they prefer things that are familiar. So, for example, if you were Spanish, you'd prefer to be with someone Spanish because they speak the same language as you, or whatever. Unless you have a conversation with someone else and you were like, well, okay, I could really get along with this person, but it's not something that you would necessarily strive for if you didn't have that community or something that is binding you two together.
Speaker 2:So that community of paddle has really allowed people to open up, open their minds to the possibility of having people who are different to them connect with them on another level. Basically and yeah, for me, I've made a lot of friendships out of it and I'm very grateful for the people that I've met. They just make the game a lot more special and they're constantly supporting and whether you know, like I mentioned, whether you're my partner or you're my competitor or you're just people that I hang out with, there's always going to be that sense of like, love towards the person, in the sense that, well, yeah, this is something that we're spending our time doing and we both love it, and we can talk about how much we love it and it's just a great thing to be able to have that.
Speaker 1:Amazing. Is there anything else that you would like to touch on? Go back on Any closing thoughts that you would like to share with our beloved audience.
Speaker 2:I wanted to ask you what do you think is the future of paddle in the UAE?
Speaker 1:In the UAE. A lot of things, but I'll only mention one Is what I want to see and I think it's something that the entire paddle community wants to see Is I want to see the UAE national team at the Olympic Games.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is a dream.
Speaker 1:That is a dream and hopefully you'll be in it.
Speaker 2:Hopefully. That is definitely something that I do think about quite often as I'm watching the Olympics.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as we're recording it now. It's obviously on topic because the Olympic Games is ongoing and there are some very odd sports in the Olympic Games and paddle is not yet there. But Olympic Games is ongoing and there are some very odd sports in the Olympic Games and paddle is not yet there.
Speaker 2:But I hope maybe not 2028, but I think maybe 2032 is what they're looking at yeah, that would be amazing because, like you mentioned, right like right now, it's very dominated by Spanish and Argentinian community. And had we, if we give it another eight years, like you mentioned, then we can definitely see a shift with the future generation that's to come being able to be a bit more competitive with these Spanish and Argentinians. So, yeah, that's, it's going to be a beautiful thing to see, hopefully in the upcoming Olympics.
Speaker 1:Aisha, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me. I had a wonderful time.
Speaker 1:Me too, and I'm sure we will do this again soon, when you have even more wins under your belt and many tournament wins, and we'll have to play.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely, let's make it happen.
Speaker 1:Thank you for watching.