Nestlé Portugal and Cross Staff are the 2024 national padel champions. After 726 matches between more than a thousand players from six regions of the country, the final of the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League took place at the Padel Factory in Agualva-Cacém over the weekend of April 13 and 14.
A total of 24 teams from the regional competitions in the Center, Azores, Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and Algarve - four from each of the country's six regions - made their way to the national stage and took to the field to fight for the gold medal in the second edition of what is the first Portuguese inter-company paddle league homologated by the Portuguese Paddle Federation.
Nestlé Portugal are two-time women's champions
Nestlé Portugal consolidated its supremacy on the court by winning the title of national champion of the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League for the second year running.
Showing an impeccable performance, the women's team didn't let a single victory slip away throughout the competition, from the regional encounters to the decisive clash with Sistema McDonald's Portugal. Facing challenges from different teams throughout the tournament, Nestlé Portugal remained firm and determined, reaching the final without a single defeat.
"It's truly a privilege to win this award for the second time," shared team captain Patrícia Relvas with emotion.
"Winning the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League again, which is getting more and more competitive, is a source of pride," added Patrícia Relvas, who has worked at Nestlé Portugal for 21 years and is currently in her eleventh position in the company as Service Expansion Lead at Nestlé Business Services Lisbon. Alongside her co-worker Nazaré Paiva, Patrícia Relvas once again received the big trophy on behalf of her talented team.
"I'm an example of someone who has never picked up a racket and has evolved through a lot of resilience and passion," said the team captain who wore the colours of Fitness cereals to demonstrate that she can achieve any goal. "More than winning, the goal has always been to represent, on behalf of the Fitness brand, Nestlé's purpose, which is to contribute to a healthier future of life," she stressed. "I even say that paddle tennis is my health insurance, because, believe me, it's a way of practicing sport with pleasure, and not out of obligation, as sometimes happens with the gym.
This practice not only contributes to our cardiovascular health but also fosters networking, both internally among employees and externally with other companies," she added.
Compared to last year, Nestlé Portugal found it more difficult to win the title in 2024. "This is due to the fact that this national business championship has gained greater visibility, attracting players of an increasingly high level," said the two-time champion. With her bags packed and the gold medal on her chest, Patrícia Relvas is also preparing to land in Alicante, Spain, to represent the country in the World Veterans Championship. "It's a great honor to represent Portugal in this event, where we hope to achieve a good ranking," said Patrícia Relvas.
Cross Staff: men's best
In the men's category of the championship, the Cross Staff team proved that they deserved to win the gold medal after an impressive comeback in the final against Coife da Quinta do Lago, a newcomer from the Algarve. Despite starting the match with a defeat in the Super Tie Break of the first round, Cross Staff didn't let themselves be shaken and demonstrated their superiority by categorically winning the following rounds, rewarding the winning run they had throughout the competition.
Bruno Aguiar, sub-captain and coach of the Cross Staff team, describes the road to victory as punctuated by challenges, especially during the semi-final, which was decisively difficult. "It was a lot of taco a taco," he recalled. "We went into the match saying that it was going to be impossible to reach the podium and we ended up winning the title of national padel champions," said Bruno, who has been practicing padel since 2008.
In between shouts of victory, there was still time to acknowledge the importance of honoring the company's jersey. "It's a source of pride to wear the Cross Staff uniform and, as a group, to do our utmost to achieve collective success," said the athlete. "There hasn't been a single match where we haven't had the rest of the team behind us," she said, praising the cohesion and Patrícia Relvas, captain of the Nestlé Portugal women's team, who has worked for the company for over 20 years. mutual support that are so vital both on the paddle tennis court and in the workplace.
According to the Cross Staff employee, what makes victories particularly special is that feeling of team achievement. "Victories are always much more beneficial when we are one team fighting for the same goal. Not to mention that the level of competition is getting stronger and stronger and it's more and more fun to win."
With the Cross Staff team already signed up for the next edition, the objective remains clear: keep the group together, have fun and, of course, try to reclaim the title with the same passion and team spirit that led them to victory.
Winners
Male
1st place: Cross Staff
2nd place: Quinta do Lago Golf Society
3rd place: Future Procedure
Female
1st place: Nestlé Portugal
2nd place: McDonald's System Portugal
3rd place: SAS Madeira