The Sunbet Padel Invitational is taking things up a notch as its upcoming third instalment is heading to Sun City on 14 and 15 November. The tournament is, once again, bringing together an exciting mix of sporting legends, professional athletes, media personalities and content creators for two days of competitive padel, entertainment and plenty of friendly rivalry.
Founded by media personality and entrepreneur Kriya Gangiah in partnership with Sunbet, the tournament has quickly established itself as South Africa’s most exciting fusion of action-packed sport, celebrity competition, and lifestyle networking. After two successful editions in Pretoria and Durban, the Sunbet Padel Invitational is going bigger and better in Sun City, with an impressive line-up of familiar faces from the worlds of sport and entertainment set to take to the court, supported by Heineken® 0.0 as the event’s official beer partner.
Among the confirmed players are former Springbok players Morne Steyn, Juandré Kruger and Wynand Olivier, former Bafana Bafana stars Mark Fish, Stanton Fredericks, Shaun Bartlett, Andre Arendse, Bongani Khumalo and Gavin Lane, former Proteas cricketer Paul Adams, professional footballer Tristan Moses, and Springbok Women scrumhalf Rumandi Potgieter.
The line-up also features a strong contingent of media personalities and creators, including Stacey Holland, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Roxy Burger, Sasha Martinengo, Worship Freemantle, Nolo Pongolo, Claudia Henkel, Tansey Coetzee, Layla Arrison, Arno Jordaan, Chad Jones, Chadwell Goodgall, Dimitri Leontakianakis, Phila Sixaba and Michael Morton.
Adding even more padel expertise to the mix are Debbie Van Aswegan and Hanns Spangenberg, while the celebrity line-up is rounded out by former professional sports stars and personalities ready to test their skills on court.
Want to share the court with the stars? Padel players can get in on the action too, with members of the public invited to register at www.padelinvitational.co.za for the chance to play alongside some of South Africa’s biggest sporting and entertainment personalities. It’s an opportunity to put your padel skills to the test, share the court with a few famous faces and be part of the Sunbet Padel Invitational experience from the inside.
“We wanted the third Sunbet Padel Invitational to feel like a real step up, and taking the event to Sun City gives us exactly that,” says Kriya Gangiah, Founder of The Sunbet Padel Invitational. “The response to the first two editions showed us just how much people enjoy seeing familiar faces from sport and entertainment step onto the padel court and compete in a completely different environment. This year, we’re bringing an even bigger line-up, a new destination and plenty of competitive energy. It’s going to be a weekend of great sport, big personalities and, of course, a lot of fun.”
While the invitational is centred around the players and the competition, members of the public will also have the opportunity to watch the action and experience the atmosphere as the tournament unfolds at Sun City – for free! Fans and spectators can register online at www.padelinvitational.co.za to secure their place at one of South Africa’s most exciting sporting and entertainment events.
Event Details:
Dates: 14/15 November 2026
Time: 08:00 – 17:00 daily
Venue: Sun Padel, Sun City
Tickets: Free entry (registration and entry into Sun City required)
Register: www.padelinvitational.co.za
The Sunbet Padel Invitational is presented in partnership with Sunbet, Sun City, Heineken, Lepas and Jacaranda FM.
For more information, visit www.padelinvitational.co.za.
