Qatar makes play into padel with new sports tour investment

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Category: Sports

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. investment / ɪnˈvɛst mənt / (n.) – the act of spending money to earn profit
    Example:

    My father’s investment in properties is expected to double in the next three years.


  2. ownership / ˈoʊ nərˌʃɪp / (n.) – the condition of owning something
    Example:

    The ownership of the property has been transferred from my father to me.


  3. coincide / ˌkoʊ ɪnˈsaɪd / (v.) – to occur at the same time as something else
    Example:

    My birthday coincided with my graduation, so we decided to celebrate both occasions on the same day.


  4. executive committee / ɪgˈzɛk yə tɪv kəˈmɪt i / (n.) – a smaller group of board members who make decisions and address issues in an organization
    Example:

    All actions should be approved by the executive committee first before they can be implemented.


  5. holder / ˈhoʊl dər / (n.) – a person who officially owns something
    Example:

    He’s a holder of a world record.


Article

Read the text below.

Qatar’s investment in sports has extended to the ownership of Paris Saint-Germain launching a new global tour for the squash-tennis racket game of padel.


The Qatar Sports Investments-backed Premier Padel tour has scheduled at least 10 tournaments each year — starting in Doha later this month.


The event will coincide with world football officials and coaches being in the Qatari capital for the draw for the finals of the World Cup — the most significant sporting investment by the energy-rich Gulf nation.


Qatar’s involvement in padel is an attempt to gain more control of the sport from the existing World Padel Tour backed by the Estrella Damm beer company.


The Premier Padel series is being governed by the International Padel Federation that has existed as a governing body for 31 years.


QSI is headed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a former tennis professional who has emerged as one of the key figures in world football. He is president of PSG, chairman of the European Club Association, a member of the UEFA executive committee and head of major sports rights holder beIN.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Qatar has several investments in sports, such as the World Cup and padel. Do you think investing in sports is a good move? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What sport would you like your country to invest in? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Why do you think a lot of people are drawn to sports events (ex. because they’re exciting, they’re a good conversation topic)? Discuss.
  • Padel is a combination of squash and tennis. If you could combine two sports to create a new one, what would they be? What would you name the new sport? Discuss.