On May 23, 2026, the Uganda Smash Devils were crowned the inaugural champions of the Betika Smash Premier League. They received a trophy, medals, and a prize of Shs 5 million during a finale night held at Smash Padel, Bukoto, from 8 PM to 10:30 PM.
This victory concluded a nine-week debut season that introduced Uganda to a new standard of competitive padel, featuring club identities, weekly rivalries, and a matchday experience centred around more than just the sport itself.
The conclusion of the season marked a successful launch of a new competitive sports entity, co-created by Betika Uganda and Smash Padel, with a combined investment of over UGX 15 million. This initiative aimed to provide padel in Uganda with the structure, identity, and community it needed for growth.
The league adopted a football-inspired format, with four clubs—Smash Devils, Smash Gunners, Smash Blues, and Smash Reds- competing over nine game weeks. Each club consisted of 15 players spanning five different skill levels to maintain balanced and inclusive competition. Points were accumulated weekly on an English Premier League-style table, with the club at the top at the end of the season claiming the title.
Every Saturday night at Smash Padel, Bukoto became a significant event. Matches were accompanied by music, food, fans, and a lively atmosphere, creating a vibrant environment that kept players and spectators returning week after week. This demonstrated a genuine and growing interest in competitive padel in Uganda.
“The idea behind this league was straightforward. If padel is going to grow in Uganda, it deserves more than just casual play. It needed clubs, rivalries, stakes, identity, and compelling reasons for players and fans to return week after week. What transpired over these nine weeks clearly indicated that there is a true appetite for this format. The competition was strong, the atmosphere continued to enhance, and the community genuinely embraced the league,” said Darshil Kamal Shah, Co-Founder of Smash Padel and Co-Creator of the Betika Smash Premier League.
For Betika Uganda, the league represented a significant shift from traditional sports sponsorship. Rather than merely branding an existing property, Betika collaborated with Smash Padel to build the competition from the ground up, focusing on competitive structure, club identity, matchday experiences, and the overall framework of the league.
This partnership reflects Betika’s broader goal of helping to establish sporting ecosystems and communities for sports that are still developing in Uganda. The belief is that investing early in structure is far more valuable than waiting for a sport to become mainstream.
“Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and we are witnessing that momentum build in Uganda as well. For us, the opportunity lies not in waiting for the sport to become mainstream, but in getting involved early and playing a meaningful role in its growth. The Betika Smash Premier League is more than just a visibility initiative; it represents a strategic investment in an emerging sporting ecosystem with significant community, lifestyle, and commercial potential. By partnering with Smash Padel at this stage, we are helping to build the competitive structure, visibility, and excitement that the sport needs to scale sustainably. This is the kind of forward-thinking investment that Betika believes in,” stated Desire Akanduhura, Marketing Lead at Betika Uganda.
The inaugural season concluded with the Smash Devils claiming the title, but both Betika Uganda and Smash Padel view this as just the beginning of a longer journey for competitive padel in the country. Season Two is expected to build on the foundation established this year, with plans to expand participation, enhance the matchday experience, and further develop the competitive structure.