Back to where it all began… Thirteen years after leaving Orléans where he had just spent two conclusive years as Hopes, Nobel Boungou-Colo put on, this Tuesday, the OLB training tunic, in the heart of a sports hall which seemed naturally familiar to him. In 2009, the Franco-Congolese had taken an active part in the qualification in the final of the Future Trophy young people from Orleans (lost at home 71-65 against Asvel); he had also tasted a few seconds, with the pros, in the finals of the Semaine des As and the championship (which had also escaped Orleans).
Nobel Boungou-Colo in 2009, during the semi-final of the Future Trophy against Nancy.
Today aged 33 Yearsthe experienced winger (2.02m)who will enter the rotation as a priority for the position of strong winger for this end of the season, will have to pick up the pacethree months after his last outing in competition (a victory with Boulogne-Levallois, against Asvel on November 21).
Boungou-Colo and Mbida arrive, Dally leaves: the OLB strengthens its workforce to try to ensure its maintenance
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Nobel, how do you feel about this return to Loiret?
“It’s going very well, I’m happy to be able to come back to a city I know. Where I was trained and where I know a lot of people. It’s nice to come back, it’s a bit of a homecoming. “
You were courted by other clubs, what convinced you to opt for Orléans?
“I had the coach on the phone, there was a need here, he explained to me clearly what he wanted from me and what he wanted for this end of the season. It spoke to me. another reason in my head is that it was Orléans, I preferred to come back to a city I knew rather than go somewhere else.
“This is where I started professionally, it would be nice to help the club maintain itself.”
The coach explained that he wanted you to play mainly as a strong winger, does that suit you?
“We talked about it, he told me how he wanted to use me and what he wanted me to bring to the team. It spoke to me. This end of the season is tight for several clubs, there has a challenge that I want to take up. I feel ready, I am a competitor, I like to take up challenges. Orléans is a club that I really enjoyed. This is where I started professionally, this would be good to help him to maintain himself.”
Do you know the workforce of Orleans?
“I’ve been playing basketball for a long time, I’ve already seen several players evolve: Junior (Mbida), Jérémy (Nzeulie), Malela (Mutuale), I know them a little. And then I faced the OLB with Boulogne-Levallois in October. It’s a squad that I know quite well. There are only a few Americans that I don’t know.”
Where have you trained since leaving Boulogne-Levallois at the end of November?
“I stayed in good shape. I did a short stint in Switzerland, in Nyon, the son of Dusko Ivanonic, a coach I had in Russia, is a coach there. Afterwards I returned to Paris, I I trained in Boulogne with a small pre-national team, to keep in shape.”
The competition resumes in ten days with an important match for maintenance, do you feel physically ready?
“There will be a restart, even if I trained, the opposition of the high level, it is not the same thing. We will have to prepare for physical shocks, contacts. But it’s good that there is a small period where I can train before this first game.”
Jerome Couton-Coudray
