Padel is for everybody, says comedian Manford

Jason Manford is visiting padel courts across the UK during his stand-up tour

Comedian Jason Manford has been sharing his passion for padel, as he encouraged schoolchildren to pick up the racket for the first time.

Manford visited an indoor court in Mile Cross, Norwich, to show youngsters the hybrid of tennis and squash that he has become "obsessed" with.

Known more for his banter than his backhand, he has set up his own padel academy, with the aim of boosting physical exercise and introducing 10 million children to the game in 10 years.

"The worry about the game is that it could be expensive, and potentially be elitist, and I would hate that - it's very much a sport for everybody," he said.

"I thought, 'How do we get kids from under-privileged backgrounds actually playing this game?' So that's why we set up the charity."

He caught the padel bug while on holiday and now plays four or five times a week, despite his busy schedule.

"It's a fun, sociable sport that isn't requiring me to be an elite athlete, but has the potential to be that, as well.

"I've got a busy life - working every day, six children, a wife, ex-wife, parents, all of that spinning around in your head, like we've all got.

"For an hour, you're just thinking, 'Can I get this ball over the net?'

"I'm obsessed with it, I just love it."

Manford said padel was a fun, sociable sport that gave him escapism for an hour

Manford took his stand-up tour to Lowestoft, Suffolk, on Wednesday, and Peterborough on Thursday, with the comedian co-ordinating his schedule with padel venues.

"We started off in Manchester and gradually, as we've gone around the country, we've realised we can just do this anywhere.

"These [padel] centres are opening up all over the place, and as it's new, they're trying to let people know what the game is."

The comedian played Peterborough on Thursday night

As well as putting a racket into the hands of more than 1,000 children so far, Manford has his sights set on affecting change nationally.

"The sport is big, it's the fastest-growing in the world, and there's talk of it being in the Olympics in 10 or 20 years' time.

"But it's not so well known, so that's what I am working on, with Sport England, the LTA [Lawn Tennis Association] and the government.

"Schools have got space, let's get some funding and build some courts in schools and add another sport to the curriculum.

"It's exciting to be at the birth of a new sport. When does that ever happen in any of our lifetimes?"

Joan Farras, who opened Court de Padel in Norwich earlier this month, said the game was "extremely fun and sociable" and "really affordable", with the hourly court hire of £40 working out at £10 per player, with discounts for members.

Manford aims to put a padel racket in the hands of 10 million children in 10 years