Young sports enthusiast hits bull’s-eye with paintball project

AMMAN — A young sports enthusiast and adventurer who had a particular penchant for paintball, founded a club for the activity in 2013 due to “a lack of places in Jordan that offer fun, safe, and affordable spaces for sports games” .

The founder of the paintball venue Xtreme Jordan Club, Motaz Hiari, was one of several young entrepreneurs from around the Kingdom who met with His Majesty King Abdullah last week to discuss their projects. During the meeting, His Majesty reaffirmed his keenness to support young Jordanians’ innovative projects, heard from the entrepreneurs and voiced pride in their achievements. 

Hiari described the encouragement he received from His Majesty King Abdullah as “the exact words that every small business owner needs to hear to keep going”.

“When young entrepreneurs hear that the leader of the country is encouraging them to follow their dreams, while assuring them that the financial and moral support they need is there, that is just beyond amazing,” he told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

Leaving his IT bachelor’s degree in 2013 to open the paintball club, 33-year-old Hiari said he was “glad to hear that His Majesty supported the new trend of breaking away from the traditional 9-5 job”.

The problem that stood in Hayari’s way was funding. As a young man from humble backgrounds, Hayari needed to borrow his start-up capital. Ultimately, he did so by pitching his idea to the Development and Employment Fund and receiving support for it.

“I think we are among the first places to introduce Jordan to paintball, and that is why the project achieved great success. We have now fully paid back the loan we took from the Fund, and have even expanded since then,” he added.

Built on four dunums along the Airport Road, the club charges JD15 a game for 90 minutes of playing, including full-body gear and 100 bullets. Other than the playing field, it also offers multiple venues for different purposes, such as a football field, a climbing area for children and a barbeque spot.

“My goal is to offer a unique experience to everyone. That is why the venue is designed to accommodate large groups, children, corporate events or family gatherings. There is something for everyone over at Xtreme,” said Hiari.

The project now provides 10 job opportunities, with a vision for expansion in the future, the founder added.