Hundreds of padel fans turned out to watch the launch of the second season of a padel league, with £8,000 being offered to the winning team and £4,000 to the runners-up.

The Nexo Premier League at the Nexo Padel Club, in Bolton Road, is all set to host its second season.

The league will see 10 teams consisting of nine players each go head-to-head over the coming months.

Each team has a sponsor who paid to enter the league, and last weekend fans gathered for the official auction where clubs bid for the best players.

The glitzy event included a giant screen with the auction beamed across the world.

The first season proved to be a huge success, and the second season is already looking to exceed expectations again.

The concept is based on cricket's Indian Premier League, where franchises with some of the best players in the world battled it out to be crowned champions.

Zain Ramzu said: “It is the world’s first IPL-style padel league.

"We have players heading over from Bolton, Preston and across Lancashire.

“We actually had interest from Leicester and other places across the UK. There was so much interest.

“There are 10 different owners and 10 franchises where 90 players take part.

“Each team picks nine players, with six playing and three on the sub bench.

“Each week three games will take place per club. One game is worth four points, another is worth two points, and a third is one point.

"So, you put your best players up for the four-point game.

“The league is over nine weeks, and then there are the play-offs and the route to the final.”

Presently, the league is men-only, but the team are planning for a female-led league.

The padel club does host sessions for women already, with the doubles-style of playing padel the most popular, meaning mixed-gender games are already a mainstay.

The Nexo Premier League at the Nexo Padel Club, is gearing up for their second season. (Image: Nq)

The league is being supported by Knowsley-based sports brand Applied Nutrition.

National account manager for the UK, Mark Devereaux, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the league.

“We liked what they are doing, and there was a real community feel to it.

“We bought into the community aspect of it.

“The response here has been fantastic and it wonderful to see so many people here.”

The Nexo building itself has been renovated, bringing an abandoned warehouse back into use for the fastest-growing sport in the country.

The venue now boasts six double padel courts and two single courts as well as a small café, a lounge, changing rooms and a viewing area.

The venue only opened in January but has already become a hub for padel fans.

The league has helped to generate interest from across the North West.

On league night, crowds are now packing into the venue to watch the matches.

Mohmed Patel, from the Nexo Padel venue, said: “The building was derelict before and has been brought back into use for people across the borough.

“It has been a really good year, and the response from the local community has been fantastic.

“It is busy in the evenings, and during the day we have linked up with schools to host matches.”