Despite all their efforts, the bowlers failed to qualify their sport for the Olympics.
This choice should not be seen as a lack of recognition. It’s a political, lobbying question. You have to have a network, be known and recognized by your peers, declared Michel Le Bot, president of the French Boules Sports Federation since 2021, in a daily interview. West France.
So we won’t hear the traditional do you shoot or do you point? in the French capital, no more than in Los Angeles in 2028. The Olympic movement preferred to integrate baseball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash as new disciplines in the American city.
But the president of the French Federation remains hopeful and is now turning his attention to the next Olympic Games which would be awarded to a country on the Asian continent.
At the last pétanque worlds, held in Benin, it was Thailand which finished at the top of the nations, ahead of France, with three gold medals. This country is also portrayed as the new El Dorado of pétanque with more than 40,000 members.
I do not despair that one day, through the Olympics in an Asian country, we can be candidates again. These countries play a lot and are very good, underlined Michel Le Bot.
Frenchman Philippe Quintais, 16 times world championPhoto: afp via getty images / ANDREAS SOLARO
It saddens me. If curling is an Olympic sport, why not pétanque? asked Philippe Quintais daily West FranceThe 56-year-old Frenchman has accumulated 16 world titles, earning him the nickname of Zidane of pétanque in reference to the famous soccer player. Today he coaches part of the French team.
The birthplace of pétanque in Canada is in Quebec. Organized pétanque has existed there since 1956 and the province has hosted the World Championship on four occasions. Moreover, the city of Joliette is in the running to host the event in 2025.
Proof that pétanque extends to all continents, it is the city of Cotonou, in Benin, which organized the last world championships. Those of 2024 will be held in Dijon, France, from December 5 to 8.
A disappointed vice-president
Of course it’s disappointing not to see pétanque at the Paris Olympics, immediately declares Bernard Aurouze, vice-president of America at the International Federation of Pétanque and Provençal Game and president of the Pétanque Internationale Québec club.
IOC than to find a way to interest young people in the Olympic Games. This is why we preferred the break dancing. We wanted to be too perfect and we paid the price”,”text”:”The pétanque application was among the finalists, but we preferred sports that were more trendy. It is the wish of the IOC President to find a way to interest young people in the Olympic Games. That’s why we preferred breakdancing. We wanted to be too perfect and we paid the price”}}”>The pétanque application was among the finalists, but we preferred sports that were more trendy. It is the wish of the IOC President to find a way to interest young people in the Olympic Games. This is why we preferred the break dancing. We wanted to be too perfect and we paid the price, the president admits, a little sad but realistic.
Women from the Algerian pétanque team Photo: afp via getty images / AFP
Bernard Aurouze explains that the lawyers of his sport wanted to fill all the gaps surrounding the candidacy of pétanque in their representations.
federations in South America and federated pétanque is played in more than 115 countries on all continents. I think that pétanque is among the most widespread sports in the world.”,”text”:”The countries of South America were absent from our geographical map, but we have made up for it, he maintains. Today, we have 12 federations in South America and federated pétanque is played in more than 115 countries on all continents. I think that pétanque is among the most widespread sports in the world.”}}”>The countries of South America were absent from our geographical map, but we have made up for it, he maintains. Today, we have 12 federations in South America and federated pétanque is played in more than 115 countries on all continents. I think pétanque is one of the most popular sports in the world.
The place of women was also a gap, adds Bernard Aurouze. Here again, we work on balance. Moreover, Quebec is an example, because there are more women laid off than men.
While waiting for the inclusion of pétanque in the Olympic program, the vice-president of the International Federation remains a little bitter at the idea of not seeing the players in the French capital this summer, especially since he had presented all a project for Paris 2024.
When we presented our candidacy, we proposed, as the Olympic site, the surroundings of the Louvre pyramid! I’ll let you imagine the images that would have been broadcast all over the world.
The pyramid of the Louvre Museum, in ParisPhoto: iStock
Pétanque therefore remains on the floor, but the traditional bowlers will still be able to tease the jack at the World Championship in Dijon, next December. This event also sees its television ratings multiply with each edition.
50 years ago the writer and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol died, who immortalized pétanque on the big screen. The glory of my father and especially, Fannyin which the game of boules where the players block a tram to end their game, will remain legendary films glorifying this sport.
The famous question asked by knowledgeable bowlers, do you shoot or do you point?, will perhaps be heard one day in the Olympic arena, but it will certainly be after 2028.
2024-06-25 18:43:58
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