By Inez Jean-Baptiste – Published on June 17, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Yannick Noah, back on the media scene this summer, did not hesitate to share his thoughts on the place of sport in France.
As the Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, the question arises: is France really a sports country? At the end of 2023, Florent Manaudou had already launched the debate by harshly criticizing the reduction in PE hours and the lack of financial support for athletes. On France 2, the athlete declared: “They reduced PE hours from four to two. We can’t say ‘I want to be the best nation’ by putting in the resources like that. It is not possible. I have my old roommate who went to Australia, who earns 5 times more for the same job and who trains people who are a little less talented.” For Manaudou, preparing for the Olympic Games requires years of effort and planning. And recent measures are not enough to make up for the accumulated delay. As for Yannick Noah, he has a strong opinion on the issue.
Yannick Noah cash on France’s relationship to sport
Florent Manaudou’s comments caused a stir at the time, sparking numerous debates in the sporting world. Yannick Noah, now captain of the French wheelchair tennis team for the Paralympic Games, was invited by The Parisian to comment on these statements. For the singer, the criticisms of the French swimmer are justified.
“There must be that. Let’s say that France is not a sporting country until the moment it wins. It’s always the same dynamic. Afterwards, when you manage to win, it becomes a love for life , I am well placed to know… It’s not that we don’t like sport, but it’s as if we want to apologize for encouraging athletes. We say that we are chauvinistic. , It’s not good.”, he confided. For the former Roland-Garros champion, France must get out of this mentality. Where support for athletes is only gained in the event of victory. He pleads for a more constant attitude and enthusiastic about sport.
A mentality to change
Yannick Noah does not embellish reality: according to him, France is not a sports country only when she triumphs. A mentality that he himself has learned to understand and accept, and which does not prevent him from aiming for medals at the Paralympic Games: “When I won Roland-Garros, there were thousands more licensees behind, courts built. When Clarisse Agbégnénou and Teddy Riner win a World Championship, there are kids who will practice judo. But it’s harder for a French athlete because there is this skepticism, because there isn’t a lot of sport at school and when you are good at sport at school, you are the village idiot.”he added.
For the 64-year-old athlete, it is essential to change this perception. The latter explains that the lack of support constant makes the success of French athletes even more difficult: “It’s already difficult, it’s even more so because you’re not supported. It’s not a question of structures, more of a state of mind. It’s as if running the marathon, for the French, it was 45 km instead of 42!”he stressed.
Towards a decisive summer for French sport
As the Olympic and Paralympic Games approach, Yannick Noah hopes that his statements will resonate and encourage France to offer more constant support to its athletes. He is convinced that, to become a true sporting country, France must adopt a new mentality. And so, value its champions beyond their victories.
As captain of the French wheelchair tennis team, Noah is ready to take on this challenge. Hoping inspire a new generation of French athletes to believe in themselves and aim for summits, with or without medals.
2024-06-17 10:30:10
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