More than 250 athletes competed for a share of the KES 700,000 prize pool as the four-day tournament concluded at Networks Padel Village
Brothers Keean and Kael Shah emerged as champions of the inaugural Carrefour Open Padel Tournament after defeating Amar Shah and Gaston Castro 7-6 in a thrilling Top Kenya final held at Networks Padel Village on Sunday.
The closely contested match brought the four-day tournament to an exciting conclusion, highlighting the rapid growth and increasing competitiveness of padel in Kenya. Amar Shah and Gaston Castro finished as runners-up, while Maxwell Kombo and Devin Shretta shared third place alongside Helder Simao and Markel.
In the women’s category, Khaaliqa Nimji and Seyaana Ladha secured the title after overcoming Sharon and Faith in a hard-fought final, capping off a weekend of high-level competition across multiple divisions.
Organised by Carrefour Kenya, operated exclusively in Kenya by Majid Al Futtaim, in partnership with Networks Padel Village, the tournament attracted more than 250 athletes competing across the Top Kenya, Advanced, Mixed, High Intermediate, Intermediate and Open divisions. Participants battled for a share of a KES 700,000 prize pool.
The Top Kenya champions, Keean and Kael Shah, received KES 100,000 in prize money. Runners-up Amar Shah and Gaston Castro took home KES 40,000, while the two third-placed teams each received KES 30,000.
Speaking after their victory, Keean and Kael Shah reflected on their performance:
“This was our first time playing together as brothers, and we have to give credit to our opponents for putting up a great fight. In the first set, they had us completely confused, but once we figured out our game, we were able to capitalize. It was a very competitive match and a fantastic final.
Amar’s left-handed play brings a very different challenge, while Gaston makes you work for every point. In the end, it was as much a mental game as it was physical. We’ve played them before and we’re looking forward to many more matches against them because it’s always competitive and a fun environment to play in.”
The tournament featured nine competition categories, including Top Kenya, Men’s Advanced, Ladies Advanced, Mixed Advanced, Men’s High Intermediate, Men’s Intermediate, Ladies Intermediate, Mixed Intermediate and Open Level 2.0.
Beyond the competition, the Carrefour Open also focused on growing the sport at the grassroots level through community engagement initiatives. These included a youth tournament designed to introduce young players to padel and provide mentorship opportunities through coaches from Networks Padel Village.
The successful debut of the Carrefour Open Padel Tournament marks a significant milestone for the sport in Kenya, reflecting its growing appeal among both competitive athletes and recreational players while helping strengthen the country’s emerging padel ecosystem.
