Since being taken over by a new team a year ago, the badminton section of Castanet-Tolosan has bet on sustainable development. In addition to organizing the recycling of its steering wheels, trying to sustain its cash flow, the club has designated as a spearhead the integration of disabled practitioners into its circuit. “We took over the club under covid conditions, and even if it wasn’t easy, we wanted to come up with new ideas. Sustainable development was important to us, and its social dimension in particular. The objective, make our sport accessible to everyone for the sake of fairness”, describes Jérôme Vitiourine, treasurer of the Castanian club. Thus, for three months, a disabled section has opened at the Jean-Jaurès gymnasium. The town of Castanet thus becomes, after Blagnac, the second town to have a handicap schedule open to all forms of disability.
“Badminton helps a lot with rehabilitation”
Every Thursday evening, between 5 and 6 p.m., Thibaud, 30, takes part in individual badminton training. The sessions last one hour, the exercises vary between acuity and movement. “For the sessions, I adapt to his physical condition. Thibaud is very determined, it’s a pleasure to work with him”, explains Karine Dio, his trainer. Ultimately, the goal is to include Thibaud and future participants in sessions with able-bodied people. “My son has done a lot of sports since his accident. Badminton helps a lot with rehabilitation, these sessions do him a lot of good, physically and mentally. And unlike other sports, we really see a desire to include disability in within the federation. I hope it will last”, testifies Gislène, his mother.
For the moment, Thibaud is the only learner to have joined the club, but the association would like to succeed in integrating a dozen participants in total. For this, the club organizes in particular on Tuesday February 22 a day of training open to all in order to share a sporting moment between valid and invalid, always at the Jean-Jaurès gymnasium.
