What started as a personal love for padel is fast becoming a bigger sporting and entertainment proposition, with broadcaster and entrepreneur Kriya Gangiah setting her sights on making the Sunbet Padel Invitational one of South Africa’s flagship sporting events.
Now heading into its third year, the tournament has grown beyond its original celebrity-versus-enthusiast format, bringing together personalities from sport, entertainment, media and lifestyle.
And Gangiah is thinking considerably bigger. Her ambition is for the invitational to eventually reach the stature of established South African sporting properties such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge and SA20.
“ In the next five years, I feel like we could even get to the levels of a Nedbank Golf Challenge or the SA20. I’m shooting for the stars here, but I want this to be one of the flagship sporting events in South Africa, and I think we can get there,” she says.
The idea was born from Gangiah’s own experience with the sport and the social connections it helped her build. Padel became more than just a way to exercise. It introduced her to new people, expanded her social circles and encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone.
Having discovered that many of her friends in the media industry also played the sport, she began considering how she could create an opportunity for more people to experience that same environment.
“I thought, why am I the only one enjoying this process of getting to play with very cool celebrities when everyone can? That’s how I came up with the idea of why not do it as a celeb versus padel enthusiast competition,” she says.
For Gangiah, padel’s appeal lies in its accessibility and ability to bring people together, regardless of their sporting background. She describes it as an easy way for people to become active without necessarily needing an extensive sporting background.
“It is so easy to get into and it’s so much fun. You don’t need to have a lot of ball skills; you just need to be able to hit a ball with a bat, and it gets those endorphins going,” she says.
Also Read: 2026 Nedbank Golf Challenge promises top golfers and premium music stars
She believes the sport is particularly appealing to people in their 30s who may be looking for ways to become more active and social.What began as an event centred on having fun has, however, developed into a growing business proposition.
Gangiah says the tournament has attracted increasing interest from participants and brands, creating opportunities to expand its commercial footprint while retaining the experience that inspired it.
“My vision for this tournament was just to have a great time, to bring really cool people together, play some sport, and have a bit of fun, and that’s exactly where we are,” she says.
The event has also broadened its celebrity representation
While the first instalment primarily featured sportsmen and women, subsequent editions have opened the court to personalities from media, entertainment and lifestyle.
This year’s tournament will also introduce golf as an additional experience, with a select group of celebrities joining VVIP guests for a round.
Gangiah believes the addition is a natural progression, given the growing relationship between the two sporting communities.
“We know that golf and padel go hand in hand, so it’s just a natural progression,” she says.
Behind the seemingly effortless celebrity match-ups, however, is a considerable amount of planning. Gangiah says pairing participants is one of the most demanding aspects of organising the tournament, as the teams need to be competitive without compromising the fun.
Organisers consider everything from personalities and professional backgrounds to individual playing abilities.
“You don’t want a celebrity team to be too strong or too weak. You want them to have fun, so the personalities have to match,” she says.
As the Sunbet Padel Invitational returns to Sun City this weekend, its growing appeal suggests that Gangiah’s original idea has developed into something with considerably bigger possibilities.
Importantly, the event is not exclusively reserved for invited celebrities and participants. Members of the public can watch the tournament and experience the atmosphere at Sun City free of charge.
Also Read: New fitness craze, Padel, is gaining momentum in Mzansi
- The Sunbet Padel Invitational, founded by broadcaster Kriya Gangiah, is entering its third year and expanding from a celebrity-versus-enthusiast event into a larger sporting and entertainment proposition.
- Gangiah aims for the tournament to reach the status of major South African sports events like the Nedbank Golf Challenge and SA20 within five years.
- The tournament now includes participants from sport, entertainment, media, and lifestyle sectors, with this year's event adding a golf experience for select celebrities and VVIP guests.
- Organizers carefully pair participants to ensure balanced, competitive teams that prioritize fun and compatibility of personalities and playing abilities.
- The event takes place at Sun City with free public access to watch and experience the tournament atmosphere.
What started as a personal love for padel is fast becoming a bigger sporting and entertainment proposition, with broadcaster and entrepreneur Kriya Gangiah setting her sights on making the Sunbet Padel Invitational one of South Africa’s flagship sporting events.
Now heading into its third year, the tournament has grown beyond its original celebrity-versus-enthusiast format, bringing together personalities from sport, entertainment, media and lifestyle.
And Gangiah is thinking considerably bigger. Her ambition is for the invitational to eventually reach the stature of established South African sporting properties such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge and SA20.
“ In the next five years, I feel like we could even get to the levels of a Nedbank Golf Challenge or the SA20. I’m shooting for the stars here, but I want this to be one of the flagship sporting events in South Africa, and I think we can get there,” she says.
The idea was born from Gangiah’s own experience with the sport and the social connections it helped her build. Padel became more than just a way to exercise. It introduced her to new people, expanded her social circles and encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone.
Having discovered that many of her friends in the media industry also played the sport, she began considering how she could create an opportunity for more people to experience that same environment.
“I thought, why am I the only one enjoying this process of getting to play with very cool celebrities when everyone can? That’s how I came up with the idea of why not do it as a celeb versus padel enthusiast competition,” she says.
For Gangiah, padel’s appeal lies in its accessibility and ability to bring people together, regardless of their sporting background. She describes it as an easy way for people to become active without necessarily needing an extensive sporting background.
“It is so easy to get into and it’s so much fun. You don’t need to have a lot of ball skills; you just need to be able to hit a ball with a bat, and it gets those endorphins going,” she says.
Also Read: 2026 Nedbank Golf Challenge promises top golfers and premium music stars
She believes the sport is particularly appealing to people in their 30s who may be looking for ways to become more active and social.What began as an event centred on having fun has, however, developed into a growing business proposition.
Gangiah says the tournament has attracted increasing interest from participants and brands, creating opportunities to expand its commercial footprint while retaining the experience that inspired it.
“My vision for this tournament was just to have a great time, to bring really cool people together, play some sport, and have a bit of fun, and that’s exactly where we are,” she says.
While the first instalment primarily featured sportsmen and women, subsequent editions have opened the court to personalities from media, entertainment and lifestyle.
This year’s tournament will also introduce golf as an additional experience, with a select group of celebrities joining VVIP guests for a round.
Gangiah believes the addition is a natural progression, given the growing relationship between the two sporting communities.
“We know that golf and padel go hand in hand, so it’s just a natural progression,” she says.
Behind the seemingly effortless celebrity match-ups, however, is a considerable amount of planning. Gangiah says pairing participants is one of the most demanding aspects of organising the tournament, as the teams need to be competitive without compromising the fun.
Organisers consider everything from personalities and professional backgrounds to individual playing abilities.
“You don’t want a celebrity team to be too strong or too weak. You want them to have fun, so the personalities have to match,” she says.
As the Sunbet Padel Invitational returns to Sun City this weekend, its growing appeal suggests that Gangiah’s original idea has developed into something with considerably bigger possibilities.
Importantly, the event is not exclusively reserved for invited celebrities and participants. Members of the public can watch the tournament and experience the atmosphere at Sun City free of charge.
Also Read: New fitness craze, Padel, is gaining momentum in Mzansi
