Sports and entertainment group R3 Sport has appointed Sam Kemp as Managing Director of Operations, Tournaments and Events to help drive continued expansion of the business with a particular focus on its tournaments including launching a Padel Super League and supporting the continued success of charity event PadelAid.
He joins R3 Sport from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) where he spent over six years managing recreational tennis competitions and leading the development of all LTA Padel competitions. His sport development experience also includes netball and football. At R3 Sport, which launched in February this year to invest in the sports and entertainment sectors with a particular focus on padel tennis, Kemp will lead all aspects of operations, tournaments and events strategy.
One of the main focus points will be on R3 Sport’s plans to build a Padel Super League and he will also oversee the strategic development of a portfolio of events and exhibitions as the company continues to grow. R3 Sport plans to start building two padel tennis venues in the UK that will have between 16 and 20 courts and is developing a series of major events while scouting elite padel tennis players in the UK and abroad, who it will manage.
To date R3 manages ten professional players with several representing GB in the Euro Padel Championships in Sardinia this week. R3 Sport is also the exclusive distributor of Bullpadel Rackets and Equipment in the UK and Ireland.
Jonathan Rowland, co-founder and chair of R3 Sport said: “The appointment of a Managing Director of Operations, Tournaments and Events is a major development in the ongoing expansion of the business and Sam brings deep experience and expertise from his role at the LTA.
“His key focus will be the launch of our planned Padel Super League as well as continuing to deliver tournaments and other events as we build into a pivotal driving force in shaping the future of padel within the United Kingdom.” Sam Kemp (pic) added: “R3 Sport’s plans to drive the growth of padel tennis in the UK are very exciting and I look forward to playing a key role in helping the business and sport to expand.”
There are currently over 90,000 people in the UK who play padel, and R3 Sport says this number has increased by around 1,380% since 2020. The number of players in the country is predicted to reach 600,000 by the end of 2026.
There are only around 350 padel courts in the UK, and this is expected to grow to 1,000 within the next two years. R3 Sport is in exclusive talks and final negotiations to acquire and or invest in pre-existing clubs in the UK and elsewhere in the world.
