Former international hockey player Ben Davies, who was in the Great Britain squad during the 1996 Olympic cycle, has crossed sports and moved into the padel business.
Davies, who also played for Wales, will bring his sporting experience to UK-based operator Soul Padel plus strong financial acumen as he also has 20 years of investment and trading experience. The 51-year-old will take up a non-executive director role in the company.
Padel is becoming an increasingly vibrant sport in the UK – while clubs are also beginning to build courts catering for padel. Old Loughtonians recently announced that four new courts will be coming to its facility.
Davies, who picked up a back injury prior to the 1996 Games and didn’t participate, has established a reputation in the financial and start-up sector and is founder of two fintech businesses that have scaled across the US, UK, Europe and South Asia.
It is Davies’ passion for sport and for enabling others to pursue their own sporting pathway that was behind his decision to join Soul Padel.
He said: “As a youngster, I was inspired by international sports legends to want to play at the highest level and while I was born with some natural ability, that only gets you so far. I have an undying gratitude to teachers and coaches who believed in me and supported the tough journey of an aspiring athlete.
“It’s almost 30 years since I received my first international hockey cap for Wales seniors and a few years later became a member of the Great Britain Olympic squad for Atlanta ‘96.The passion and privilege of playing for your country with like-minded individuals is something I would wish for everyone.
“Even though most of us will play for its innate joy, grassroots are the bedrock of performance sports.”
Soul Padel is planning to open a number of indoor facilities, including a centre of excellence, to meet much-needed demand and be instrumental in the growth of the sport in the United Kingdom.
The company, which also aims to create community hubs through padel, has identified various locations across north-west England.
