By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Xische Ventures is launching a licensed padel sports training center in Abu Dhabi in partnership with the global sports brand HEAD.
The HEAD brand is owned by the sports equipment and apparel manufacturer HEAD UK. Products sold under the companys’ HEAD brand include winter sports, swimming and racquet-based sports equipment.
The new HEAD ARENA sports center in Abu Dhubi is the first to be licensed by the HEAD brand in the MENA region. Padel is a racket sport typically played in doubles on an enclosed court slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court. Scoring is the same as normal tennis, and the balls used are similar but with a little less pressure.
The venue includes several padel courts, a professional training academy, certified coaching programs, a HEAD Pro retail store, a juice bar and a competitive team called#TeamHeadArena.
“We are thrilled to partner with Xische for our first HEAD Arena in Abu Dhabi, as they have proven their innovative vision and ability to not only find the perfect partner and location, but also to manage the arena to align with our high standards at HEAD, as one of the leading sporting goods companies in the racquet sport industry,” said HEAD Sports VP, Giuseppe Faranna.
“We look forward to the grand opening and hopefully expanding to more locations throughout the GCC region.”
Initially founded in 2001, Xische Ventures is an investment company, venture consultant and strategic communications group headquartered in Dubai. Xische Ventures focuses on helping companies grow their presence across the Middle East and North America regions.
“We are beyond excited to launch the first-of-its-kind HEAD licensed club and academy here in Abu Dhabi,” said Xische Ventures’ Ravi Menghani.
“It is our pleasure to welcome everyone in the community to visit, train, learn, and enjoy all we have on offer. Our mission is to create the best experience for each guest, and provide true quality sportsmanship.”
The long-term goal of the development partnership between Xische and HEAD UK is to bring the HEAD ARENA brand to all major cities in the GCC region. Xische plans to launch ten new racquet arenas across the MENA region by 2027, with two more arenas set to open this year.
The Abu Dhabi HEAD ARENA sports center will officially open to the public on Feb. 21, 2023.
Sporting Goods: HEAD Gets Its Feet Wet With Paddleboard Deal