Johan Martin-Peltier, president of the Hautes-Alpes Departmental Judo Committee, testifies to the practice of judo within his department.
What is the current dynamic of judo in the Hautes-Alpes?
We have a rather positive dynamic. Compared to what may have happened at the time of Covid, we are starting again with a dynamic which can be seen in the number of licenses, but also in the level of commitment of the various players in the department. We see that there is still a dynamic in relation to the teachers, to the clubs which are, which are more present at the meetings.
What were the levers for relaunching the practice post-Covid?
The clubs have done an enormous amount of work. They questioned themselves, innovated to propose new forms of practice. And this allows us to find young judokas on the tatami mats. Finally, a large proportion of our licensees are under 10 years old. Solutions had to be found.
What are the actions, the strong projects of your Departmental Committee in 2024?
In 2024, we have different projects. We are a small department so we do not have major projects of regional or national scope. Nevertheless, we had the chance to involve high-level athletes, in this case in adapted sport, in parajudo, like Cyril Jonard, 10 times world champion in parajudo, also Paralympic champion, and who will be present in Paris during the Games. We also had the presence of Prescilla Lézé, who will be a Paralympic judoka present in Paris this summer. We are trying to revitalize the practice of judo by involving judokas during meetings.
“We have 34% female licensees in our department”
How are these new forms of judo practices, such as health judo, women’s judo or para judo, developing within the department’s clubs?
We have work that needs to be done again. Indeed, there was adapted sport in the department, before Covid. However, the Covid crisis meant that we lost these licensees. Consequently, this is work that is being put back into place, notably with agreements signed between clubs and specialized establishments. In addition, there is a development of adapted sport and school sport as well. And, regarding women’s sport, we are a department where overall the rate of female licensees is slightly higher than the national level, which is positive. We have 34% female licensees in our department.
How does the Departmental Committee support the Hautes-Alpes clubs?
So at the club level, support is provided at the level of activities, meetings, such as material assistance. However, without the clubs the committee does not survive. But, I would say that the department is really the link between the clubs and the federation.
The Paris Games are fast approaching, what impact do you expect from the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
The Games are a celebration of sport and judo has an important place. It’s really a spotlight on the discipline. The President of the French Judo Federation has an ambition of 10 medals, which would be a real boost for the discipline. In addition, we must also think about the fallout at the start of the school year that this would generate. In particular, in terms of visibility and in terms of licensees. An increase in the number of licensees of around 10% should be expected. At least, that’s what could happen if the Paris 2024 Games go well for the French judo delegation.
2024-01-26 10:26:35
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