The padel competition between companies in the Greater Lisbon region took place last weekend, from March 8 to 10, at the Oeiras Padel Academy in Oeiras. The 2nd edition of the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League returned to the Lisbon stage, held in Oeiras, for a unique competition that pitted 52 teams made up of employees from different companies against each other. For three days, more than 20 organizations operating in the Lisbon region took to the court to win a place in the national stage, where the title of National Padel Champion Company will be contested.
Almost 200 games later, four teams (two men's and two women's) have been selected for the national phase, to be held on April 12, 13 and 14 in Lisbon, where the big winning company of 2024 will be crowned. In the men's competition, the Cross Staff team and the Soul Sushi & Two Care team qualified. In the women's competition, the Nestlé Portugal team and the McDonald's Portugal System team were chosen.
Nestlé Portugal adds up
"The competition is getting more and more intense," confesses Patrícia Relvas, captain of the Nestlé Portugal team and Service Expansion Lead at Nestlé Business Services Lisbon.
Like last year, the team led by Patrícia Relvas intends to honor its company's jersey and once again win the title of Women's National Padel Champion. "Our goal is to win, but above all we want to promote a healthy life through sport, in line with Nestlé's purpose of contributing to a healthier future," says the captain.
"Fitness is a brand that focuses on healthy nutrition and representing it in sport is a source of pride," concludes Patrícia Relvas, who has worked at Nestlé Portugal for 20 years. Dressed in the colours of the Fitness brand, the Nestlé team knows better than anyone what it takes to win the big gold medal.
"Analyzing strategies, adapting to the opponent and the teammate are key elements for success. Ensuring complicity, team spirit and effective communication are also essential," advises the winner of the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League 2023.
Stage not suitable for heart patients
The Lisbon event reached peak excitement with an epic semi-final that decided the two men's teams that will be part of the final. The Cross Staff and Soul Sushi & Two Care teams have shown exceptional performance throughout the tournament without losing a single game up to this stage. However, the semi-final was not without its challenges. The Cross Staff team faced a close battle against Oeiras Padel Academy, with the first two games decided only in Super Tie Breaks, one for each team, sealing their passage to the final only in the third round with an emphatic victory in what was a heartbreaking knockout.
"We're determined to win the championship and we're counting on a strong team to achieve that success," says José Fernandes, captain of the Cross Staff team, in an interview with Jornal de Negócios. "Above all, you need good players and a united team. The captain's leadership is crucial for forming effective strategies and adapting to the opponent.
An effective leader knows how to bring the right people together to achieve goals," adds the player from the company specializing in temporary work and team outsourcing.
Soul Sushi & Two Car secure final
The Soul Sushi & Two Care team didn't have an easy time of it either, losing their first match of the tournament in the second round after having won the first. The team only secured their place in the final by winning with determination and grit in a very tight third round. "The games aren't easy. The challenges are always there and all the games were hotly contested, which demonstrates the strong competition that exists both on and off the pitch," recalls José Roque, spokesman for the Soul Sushi & Two Care team.
After losing the title of National Padel Champions to Hotel da Baixa in 2023, the men's team from Soul Sushi & Two Care promises to settle the score in this year's final. "The aim is to reach the final again and, this time, to win. We not only want to compete, but also take the opportunity to spend time with friends, meet new people and strengthen our networking," says João Roque, who takes on the role of commercial director and marketing director at Soul Sushi & Two Care.
Networking on and off the field
No one denies that the MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League is the perfect opportunity for the various participants to get to know each other and expand their network of contacts. During the awarding of the medals to the teams that qualified for the final stage, Mário Seborro, commercial director for the corporate market at MEO Empresas, stressed the importance of these initiatives for companies. "The MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League creates networking opportunities that are crucial for strengthening relationships, both between colleagues and with customers", he emphasized.
Known for fostering team spirit and providing moments of adrenaline, paddle tennis is a sport that has seen a veritable explosion of players among company employees. "It's important to create moments of closeness and competitiveness outside the usual workplace. Events like this provide not only gains but also valuable relationships. It's a worthwhile experience. Sign up and take part!" urges Mário Seborro.
Next stop: Porto
After tournaments in Batalha, the Azores and Lisbon, the fourth stage of the competition will take place at Douro Padel in Porto on March 15, 16 and 17. The north of Portugal will be home to some strong players ready to compete for the title of National Champions MEO Empresas Corporate Padel League 2024.
A total of 11 different organisations are registered for this phase. They are, in alphabetical order: Allcost, Boavista Futebol Clube, Fisiogaspar, RGB Events, DevScope, Kemi Pine Rosins Portugal, Lusíadas Saúde, Medialivre, MEO Empresas, Mimosa and Polipaul.
The championship will run until April and will also take in the island of Madeira (Funchal) and the southern region (Algarve). There's still time to take part in these tournaments up until seven days before the respective stage takes place. Register your team now on the competition's official website with your company details, the captain's contact details, the region where you want to take part and the gender of the team members. You can also follow all the qualifying and final stages at meocorporatepadelleague.negocios.pt.
In each region, two men's and one women's team will be selected for the national phase. As usual, the competition system will be divided into groups followed by a direct elimination round between the best-placed teams in each group. This year, there is also a secondary merit board in which participants can win trophies. After all these intense encounters, there is undoubtedly one undisputed winner: paddle tennis.
Companies investigated
Men's teams: Cross Staff Soul Sushi & Two Care
Women's teams: Nestlé Portugal Sistema McDonald's Portugal
Who took part?
From the health and well-being sector to the telecommunications industry, several companies entered the Lisbon regional phase. In alphabetical order: Antas da Cunha Ecija & Associados, Armasul, AXIANSEU II Digital Consulting, Consilcar, Cross Staff, DXC Technology, Fisiogaspar, Floene Energias, KPMG, Medialivre, MEO Empresas, Mimosa, Miniclip Portugal, Mudum - Companhia de Seguros, NearU, New Print, OceanSide, Oeiras Padel Academy, Sistemas McDonalds Portugal, Rasteiro Maya Serviços de Saúde, Confraria do Sushi, IZAKAYA, Nestlé Portugal and Saldo Positivo.
Calendar
Find out about the next stages, dates and venues:
Regional phase 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