Punjab opens free sports arena in Rahim Yar Khan with padel courts

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the new Sports Arena in Rahim Yar Khan would be fully operational by Sunday, with padel courts among the facilities offered free of cost. The complex also includes cricket, football and badminton, giving the city one of the most visible public sport spaces Punjab has pushed this year.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the arena was “equipped with modern facilities” and designed to provide a “world-class sporting experience free of cost.” Rana Jamshaid Ali Khan echoed that message, saying the people of Rahim Yar Khan would benefit from a state-of-the-art venue with world-class facilities for padel, cricket, football and badminton at no charge.

The pitch is aimed squarely at young players, not just casual walk-ins. Mian Zeeshan Rafique said the project was “designed to inspire young talent and promote a healthy, active lifestyle,” and linked the arena to ongoing beautification work in the city. That matters for padel, because the sport has grown fastest in Pakistan where access is still gated by club membership, private courts and urban concentration. A free public venue in Rahim Yar Khan is a different kind of bet: that a first hit, a few repeat sessions and visible local use can matter more than another private facility in Lahore or Karachi.

The harder question is what happens after the opening. Free entry lowers the biggest barrier, but padel still needs rackets, balls, coaching and regular maintenance if it is going to become more than a one-off attraction. If Rahim Yar Khan wants a real pipeline, the arena will have to move beyond simple court access and into structured play, basic instruction and durable upkeep.

Punjab has already signaled that padel fits into its broader sports push. Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Khelta Punjab Games 2025 on Jan. 31, and Punjab Sports Minister Faisal Khokhar said 120,000 athletes had registered. The Punjab Sports Board also said padel tennis would be included in the Khelta Punjab Pink Games, while another post said Pakistan’s national cricketers would be required to play padel during long-duration training camps after new courts were established at the National Cricket Academy.

That context makes Rahim Yar Khan more than a local opening. If the arena stays free, stays maintained and gets used by young players who would never have reached a private club, it could become one of the first public ladders into padel outside the major-city circuit.