Mar 23, 2026
Welcome to episode 242 of Sports Management Podcast.
Today we dive into one of the fastest-growing sports stories in the world — how padel went from unknown to obsession in Pakistan in just a few years.
Talal Shah, Co-Founder & CEO of Total Sports and Legends Arena, shares how he scaled from one facility to a nationwide movement transforming sports participation.
In this episode, we spoke about:
- Building a sports facility empire from scratch
- Why padel exploded faster than cricket in Pakistan
- The business model behind pay-as-you-play sports
- Scaling from 1 to 11 venues in under 3 years
Timestamps:
00:01 The vision behind Legends Arena
00:22 From construction to sports empire
01:34 Choosing which sports to build
02:43 Why padel changed everything
03:26 Courts booked 24 hours a day
05:21 Early operational mistakes
06:51 Pivoting from cricket to padel
08:09 Why padel beats cricket logistically
10:19 Making padel affordable for the masses
10:41 Sponsorship boom and brand demand
12:26 Hosting international tournaments
14:20 The coaching gap challenge
16:15 Scaling to 11 venues
17:34 Building a full sports ecosystem
24:35 Advice for future sports entrepreneurs
SPONSOR:
Listeners of the Sports Management Podcast get an exclusive 20% off
on SportsPro+ with the code SMPOD20.
All you need to do is head to sportspro.com/membership and start
exploring today.
Follow Sports Management Podcast on social
media
Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
