Former basketball champion Boris Diaw invests in a padel project near Bordeaux

We can see the giant construction set from the busy Magudas Avenue. Metal parts arranged together form the skeleton of a future construction in the Satellites activity zone in Haillan. Yet another restaurant in prospect? A tertiary building? At all. It will be a sports site. More precisely: a padel complex. “We started with a commercial building. The town hall instead wanted to see a leisure activity arrive on its territory. The chance of life did things well,” recognizes Rodolphe de Malet, general manager of the CTI group. And this chance is called Boris Diaw.

Practicing

The former basketball champion, who spent time among others with Pau-Orthez and the San Antonio Spurs during the Tony Parker era, is a fervent practitioner of this racket sport. To the point of wanting to start his own room. The young retiree from the public prosecutor's office is not embarking on this project alone, but with investment partners, “friends from Bordeaux”, specifies the person concerned. “The padel is booming,” he continues. More and more tennis clubs are transforming courts to develop this game; room projects are emerging everywhere. However, France is lagging behind certain countries. The offer is far from satisfying all customers. » This observation also applies, according to him, to the Bordeaux metropolis.

The CTI group had this land available in Haillan. A point of convergence has been found. The complex will open its doors in September. It will deploy eight courts: seven for doubles play, one for singles. With 9 meters of ceiling height, there is no chance that the lobs will end up being deflected by a beam. “If people play with four players most of the time, singles remains a good way to train and take individual lessons. We also want to be able to be inclusive by facilitating the padel armchair,” underlines the ex-NBA champion.

Isolation

The objective is to design a modern building, meeting the latest insulation standards, in which players will be able to express themselves all year round. Without being cold in winter or too hot in summer.

Photovoltaic panels will be fitted to the roof. The electricity produced will be consumed by the activity of the complex, and possibly by neighboring tenants. The score display and the reservation system will benefit from the latest technologies. Each field will have its camera. Players will be able to watch their best moves over a drink via an internal platform.

Occupying an area of ​​2,000 m², the 3D Padel will have a reception area with a quality snack offering. “Employees from surrounding companies will be able to come and eat in an atmosphere that is both sporty and lounge,” argues Boris Diaw, who is very familiar with the economic fabric of the sector. The construction cost is 2 million for CTI, which will remain owner of the site. For the interior design, the three partners are planning a budget of around 500,000 euros.