Par Aline Chatel
Published on 4 Nov 23 at 8:52 See my news Follow Sport in Caen
The Victor Lépine gymnasium is starting to become very narrow to accommodate the rise of the Conquérant Badminton Club de Caen. The modest room is quick to burst into flames under the cries of supporters worthy of a “football kop”, according to captain Romuald Legoubey, but it is no longer in phase with a second division club. Leader of Nationale 1 after two days, Caen is in the French top 15. Quite simply.
Victor Lépine’s chairs will soon be replaced by the stands of the Halle Saint-Jean-Eudes. The club’s progress also involves infrastructure. “Our room is a little small for the people we welcome,” admits Romuald Legoubey. The CBCC is a club that is growing in Caen.
A well-crafted project
Second in Nationale 2 two years ago, Caen obtained its ticket for the higher level at the end of last season. He had not known the antechamber of the elite for a quarter of a century. In the meantime, the Conquerors had spent “a while” in Nationale 3, a championship they had left behind them about ten years ago.
Moving up to N1 has been the project for several years. “We were lucky enough to recruit one of the best players in the region, Romain Eudeline,” explains Romuald Legoubey. He was in the French top 10. He gave us ambitions. » Caen could also rely on locals, like Baptiste Lamiraux and Céline Heude.
Constant reinforcements
The appetite came with eating, especially since the Englishwoman Sian Kelly, now a member of the national team, joined the troop when she was only 17 years old. “We could not have had a player of this level” without this history. The team continued to strengthen following promotion to Nationale 1. Milo Dubois arrived from Dives. Clara Lassaux, Belgian champion, and the Polish Weronika Gorniak were also recruited.
The team was built little by little, with additions, with players who had been there for a long time.
Romuald Legoubey, captain of Caen
If the men are all Norman, the women often come from further afield. The density is lower in these interclubs which have the particularity of being mixed. There are five foreigners, including Ukrainian Yuliia Ivaniva. The young woman fled the war to find refuge in Rouen. “Unfortunately, she tore her cruciate ligaments at the end of last season. »
Romuald Legoubey, left, with the team’s coach, Alexandre Toutain. ©Aline Chatel
Caen is not able to offer professional contracts, “but we help finance travel to tournaments [individuel], equipment, etc. »
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Dams not impossible
After two days of N1, Caen is at the top of group 1 with two big victories to its credit. The Calvadosiens successively beat Guichen (6-2) and Béthune (1-7). Despite this successful start, they keep their feet on the ground.
What we are aiming for is really maintenance. We have little experience, even if we have players who have experience on a personal level.
Romuald Legoubey
Saturday November 4, 2023, Caen will face Ezanville, in the north of Paris. “They have quite strong foreign players,” says Romuald Legoubey. We will have some absentees. Anything is possible in this match. » In a ten-day season, everything also seems possible in the longer term. “If we stay first or second in the standings, we’re not going to lose on purpose,” smiles the captain. The hen is homogeneous. »
High-level dynamics
The first two of each of the two N1 groups will face each other in cross semi-finals to try to access the Top 12, the French D1. Caen is not there. “The step is very, very high. The budget would have to be multiplied by ten. » Although the Caennais have professionalized their approach, in particular by relying on their young coach Alexandre Toutain, they are not ready to take this step.
“There is competition in sport in Caen…” But badminton, the leading UNSS sport with 200,000 members in France, is establishing itself as a real local player in the broad high-level dynamic.
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2023-11-04 07:52:13
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