The MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League is back with more verve than ever. The courts of Padel XXL, in Batalha, opened their doors last weekend, February 24 and 25, to host the 2nd edition of the national paddle competition between companies, which has the seal of approval of the Portuguese Padel Federation. With racket in hand and company shirt on their chest, not even the heavy rain stopped 200 players from exchanging balls on the court and in business.
In a head-to-head, eight different companies battled it out for the title of national padel champion. From the telecommunications sector to the home appliance market, including the tourism sector, a number of companies, organisations and associations entered the regional phase in the center. They were 3PADEL, Betinatêxteis Lar, Caldas Performance, Eternobom, MEO Empresas, NOS Comunicações, Poço e Meio - Turismo and RGB Events.
Center has chosen four finalists
After two days full of many points, several sets and a hundred games, four teams (two men's and two women's) were selected for the national phase to be held between April 12 and 14 at the Oeiras Padel Academy in Lisbon, where the winning company will be crowned. In the men's competition, the Betinatêxteis Lar team and the NOS Comunicações team qualified. In the women's competition, the Betinatêxteis Lar team and the MEO Empresas team were also selected.
"In the first regional phase, one of our goals was to reach the final, which will be held in Lisbon," confesses Ana Sousa, captain of the Betinatexteis Lar women's team, between games. "Last year, we didn't qualify for the national stage because the team from MEO Empresas ended up eliminating us," says the designer who works at Betinatexteis Lar in Leiria.
With a contagious energy and enormous pride in her teammates, Ana Sousa believes that her company can be the next national padel champions. "Winning would be the icing on the cake. We have a very united team so we can go on stronger and spread the magic in the final," said the captain. "Padel is more than a sport, it's a philosophy of life where we work together towards a common goal," she said in an interview with Jornal de Negócios.
Rúben Jorge, captain of the Betinatexteis Lar men's team and the company's technical director, also promises to do his best in the race for the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League trophy. "Betinatexteis Lar is a company that supports sport and, above all, likes to promote team spirit not only among its employees but also among the younger generation and its community," adds spokesperson Ana Sousa.
Men's teams
- Betin Textiles Home
- NOS Comunicações
Women's teams
- MEO Empresas
- Betin Textiles Home
Exchanging balls on the pitch and in business
The MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League is an excellent opportunity for participants to get to know each other, establish collaborations and expand their network - even for those who don't win. By pitting teams made up of employees from different companies against each other, the aim is to create healthy corporate competition outside the usual workplace.
"Nobody plays to lose, but we have to remember that we're here primarily to have fun, celebrate our passion for padel and create professional and personal relationships," confesses Magno Pedrosa, captain of the MEO Empresas men's team that didn't qualify for the Corporate Padel League final. "Basically, this is a great initiative to strengthen relationships between colleagues and meet new people. In the end, we all win," says the key account manager at MEO Empresas.
Calendar
Find out about the next stages, dates and venues.
Regional phase:
- March 2 and 3, 2024 - Azores (Azores Padel Club)
- March 8, 9 and 10, 2024 - Lisbon (Oeiras Padel Academy)
- March 15, 16 and 17, 2024 - Porto (Douro Padel)
- March 22, 23 and 24, 2024 - Madeira (Quinta do Padel)
- April 5, 6 and 7, 2024 - Algarve (Vilamoura Tennis & Padel Academy)
National phase:
- April 12, 13 and 14, 2024 - Lisbon (Oeiras Padel Academy)
Competition crosses Atlantic borders
After its debut in Batalha, the second stage of the competition will take place at the Azores Padel Club in Ponta Delgada over the weekend of March 2-3. The capital of the island of São Miguel, in the Azores, will welcome almost a dozen companies full of motivation to be the national champions MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League 2024 Registered for this stage are, in alphabetical order: Açorbase, APC - Clube de Padel Açores, Bensaude, Finançor Agro-Alimentar, Future Procedure, GNR, MEO Empresas, Sata Air Açores and Serviel.
This regional competition will be played next Saturday and Sunday to determine two more qualifiers in both the men's and women's categories. Each team will play a minimum of four matches and twelve games. The competition system will be divided into groups followed by a direct elimination round between the best-placed teams in each group. Unlike last year, there will also be a secondary merit board in which participants can win medals and other prizes.
Six regions, only one final
The championship will run until April and will also take in the Lisbon region (Oeiras), the northern region (Porto), the island of Madeira (Funchal) and the southern region (Algarve). Two men's and women's teams will be selected from each region - with the exception of Lisbon and Oporto, which will qualify four teams each - for the national stage to be held on April 12, 13 and 14, where the winning companies will be crowned, male and female.
After the success of the first edition, the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League aims to surpass the numbers of the previous edition, reaching a total of 1,500 participants and more than 150 companies spread across six regions of the country. Everyone is invited to follow the qualifying and final stages at meocorporatepadelleague.negocios.pt.
Registration is still open
There's still time to convince your teammates to take to the court in a fun and relaxed atmosphere to win the title of national champions MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League 2024 Registration for men's and women's teams is open until seven days before the respective stage. Get your racket ready because the maximum number of places per region is limited. Last year, registration for the men's event in Lisbon sold out a month before the event.
Register your team now on the competition's official website with the company's details, the captain's contact details, the region where you want to take part and the gender of the team members. Each company can enter several teams in the competition and in different regions. You will then be contacted to formalize the rest of the process and pay the registration fee of €500 + VAT per team. Your company's success is defined on the pitch.