Women's Padel Festival Launches New League, Raises Breast Cancer Awareness
Translated & summarized from Sport5 by baba
A major women's padel festival and new league launch is scheduled for October 31st at the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan. The event, organized by SportiVit founder Lauren Benita, will feature nearly 70 players in two tournaments and an exhibition match, with prizes totaling 30,000 shekels. The festival is themed in pink to raise breast cancer awareness and will include personal stories from survivors, aiming to build community and empower women in sports.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A women's padel festival and new league will launch on October 31st at the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan.
- The event, organized by SportiVit, will feature nearly 70 players and prize money totaling 30,000 shekels.
- The festival aims to raise breast cancer awareness with a pink theme and personal stories from survivors.
- SportiVit founder Lauren Benita established the organization to make padel more accessible to women.
- The event includes two tournaments and an exhibition match with top Israeli female players.
- Winners will receive prizes valued at approximately 11,000 shekels.
A significant women's padel festival, organized by SportiVit, will take place on October 31st at the Maccabiah Village in Ramat Gan. The event aims to revolutionize women's padel in Israel, mirroring the sport's steady growth among men. Approximately 70 female players are expected to participate in two separate tournaments, with a total prize value of around 30,000 shekels. A special exhibition match will feature some of Israel's top female padel players.
The festival will be entirely themed in pink to raise awareness for breast cancer. It will also incorporate personal stories from women who have battled the disease, connecting the sport with health awareness and community support. SportiVit was founded by Lauren Benita, who transitioned to padel after a 23-year career in basketball as a player, coach, and club chairperson. Benita established SportiVit to make padel more accessible to women, creating an inviting environment for them to engage with the sport.
Benita began by gathering women through Facebook, teaching them the basics of padel voluntarily and fostering a nationwide community. This community now enables women to find partners, train, compete, and feel a sense of belonging. She has since completed coaching courses and now focuses on training and courses primarily for women.
The festival will feature two tournaments, catering to skill levels 2-2.5 and 3-3.5, with nearly 70 participants, a significant increase from previous tournaments that hosted up to 24 players. Some participants will play with their regular partners, while others will be paired specifically for the event to maximize participation. The exhibition match will pit Lior Pacht and Sofia Kazidan against Noval Levitin and Agam Hillel.
Each participant will receive a pink t-shirt with the SportiVit logo, a padel player graphic, and a breast cancer awareness ribbon. Beyond the games, women survivors will share their personal experiences. The event seeks to unite sports, community, and health awareness, empowering women both on and off the court. Winners will receive prizes valued at approximately 11,000 shekels, including professional makeup kits, treatments from a Chinese medicine specialist, dining vouchers, hair styling vouchers, natural cosmetics, fitness training sessions, and sportswear. Participants will also receive deodorant, protein drinks, refreshments, and other surprises.