What happens when you stick a group of comedians on a Padel court and tell them to fight it out? If you’re picturing a Challengers-style match-up, think again.
Padel is the adrenaline-fuelled sport that can build friendships amongst even the most competitive people, and so we decided to put that to the test by bringing in four comedians and introducing them over the infamous blue court to see if they could strike up a relationship — racquet in hand.
Sydney-based stand-ups Pat Doherty and Charissa Bossinakis took on comedian and writer Gen Fricker and YouTuber Sath Nadesan in a gruelling match to see if they could put the net in networking. And don’t worry, we’ll be leaving the jokes to the experts from here on out.
Networking on the Padel court
Not unlike a networking event, our comedians went into the game with different aims. Pat only cared about crushing Sath, Charissa was going in as competitive as could be, and Gen simply wanted to make friends.
Confidence may have been high before the game started, but different abilities quickly appeared, with Sath summarising the stressed descent, crying, “We’re comedians; we’re not athletes. Why are you making us do this?”
It became apparent that while Sath, Pat and Gen had similar skillsets, Charissa was perhaps not a natural athlete. In fact, when asked if she liked sport, Charissa sincerely replied, “Yes, I've seen all the Real Housewives,” which tells you a little about her sporting prowess.
Despite the gaps in abilities, lack of previous friendships, and the genuine competition forming between Sath and Pat, all four managed to forge a real relationship through their racquets.
Is building connection through sport the key?
Sport is undeniably a community builder in Australia. Whether you’re waking up at 3am to watch the World Cup, cheering on the Green and Gold at the Olympics or enjoying your AFL Grand Final Public Holiday down in Melbourne, people tend to enjoy sport with their mates.
It’s a sentiment that extends to those actively taking part as well. Pat, who was unequivocally best on court, thought playing with colleagues, friends and family members should be a “weekly activity on everybody's schedule.” And despite losing, both Sath and Gen thought it could boost their dating chances, with Gen finding it “sexy” and Sath planning to ”put it on [his] Hinge profile”.
So when it comes to how you spend time with your colleagues or your friends, perhaps sport (not just watching it, but getting involved) is the answer as well.
