Other Sport / Padel
Pride, progress and padel
Padel is a rapidly expanding sport with players doubling in 2024, according to Sport England.
But a lack of representation and visibility of queer people in the sport has motivated a couple to create Pride Padel: Bristol’s dedicated padel group for the LGBTQ+ community.
“We felt like there was something missing; it was a male-dominated space, and we wanted to create inclusivity,” said Seun Crowe, who is married to Laura.
“Through this, we can create tournaments where anyone can feel welcome and as if they are in a safe space.”
Laura and Seun Crowe are the founders of the queer-friendly padel club
Seun and Laura began playing Padel in 2024.
Both in their 20s, they said they have found it hard to build community and make friendships within Bristol’s queer spaces.
Pride Padel offers padel tournaments for £18, while regular padel tournaments cost up to £40. The collective offers food discounts during events, two hours of padel and prize giveaways.
This has been made possible by working with brands “to create a fun day for a good price”, said Laura.
Laura believes that sport should be for everyone. “Anyone should be able to show up, have fun with their friends and make connections. We want to create a safe space for queer people, but also for women as well.”
Pride Padel aims to make people feel safe, especially those new to the sport.
Seun said: “I grew up in Nigeria, a country where it is not acceptable to be openly gay. I moved to the UK ten years ago, and I’m lucky to feel able to be openly gay. It’s important to help other people find that, especially within a sport.”
Seun continued: “Having played a lot of other padel tournaments, it’s a very heterosexual environment, mostly dominated by straight men. It can feel unwelcoming. We are two approachable people. We’re not the fittest in the world, but we show up every day.
“We’re sharing all of the relevant information in advance. I have anxiety, so I like to have a plan and know who will be there and what to expect. We are working to make people feel welcome.”
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Looking to the future, Laura said she would like to take Pride Padel’s events across the UK and continue building a strong community.
“Seun laughs at me, but I want to end up in Miami; they have one of the biggest tournaments there,” chuckled Laura.
Seun said that Pride Padel has events planned until July next year, with the hope of continuing partnerships with brands.
Why should people come and try padel with Pride Padel?
“Because they have nothing to lose,” said Seun. “Even if you’re not sporty, give it a try; you can meet friends and build community.
“Through playing padel, we found community, and want to create an environment for others to make those connections.”
Pride Padel is running a new year’s tournament on January 10 and a tournament and coaching clinic for those who identify as women on March 21. For more information and updates, follow @pridepadel on Instagram.
This article appears in Bristol24/7’s January/February 2026 magazine
All photos: Katie Smith (@shooting.her.shot)
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