The discontent of French basketball players has not gone unnoticed.
Former footballer Thomas Renault, 38, now deputy mayor for sports in Orléans (Loiret), clearly perceived the resentment of Evan Fournier, author of a mocking tweet, and his teammates, after the announcement of the distribution venues for the Olympics.
Isidore de Braize and I arriving in Hall 6 of the Parc expo for the first match of the Olympic Games @Paris2024.
.
@ffbasketball.
@FRABasketball pic.twitter.com/JeUxJA4LzZ
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) March 16, 2022
The first round of the Olympic basketball tournament will be played at the Paris Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center, near the ring road, where the Paris Fair and the Agricultural Show take place, for example, in other words "a hangar (…) It's a shame and an absolute lack of respect, ”tackles David Cozette, who commented on basketball for thirty years on television.
- Basketball: 1st collective sport of the Olympics since always
- Team of France girls and boys: at the highest world level for 20 years
The Games of Paris 2024 in a hangar for the first round, it is a scandal and an absolute lack of respect for our sport.
A shame.
— David Cozette (@DavidCozette) March 16, 2022
Orléans had already proposed, in vain, its new Co'Met room with 10,000 seats to the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Olympics. But here, we are regaining hope.
“I renew my invitation to Tony Estanguet.
Welcoming basketball one hour from Paris in new equipment, already financed, would be a tremendous signal sent to the basketball community", says Thomas Renault, who specifies that the Orleans Arena will be the third in France in terms of reception capacity after Paris-Bercy and Montpellier.
Read alsoThe hand events of the Olympic Games in Lille: "a tremendous accelerator for our territory"
However, according to our information, the Organizing Committee does not intend to change its mind.
Even if the French basketball federation was tempted by this solution, "neither the organizing committee nor the international federation will study the file", says an observer.
Opening in the first quarter of 2023
For Orléans, it is a question of promoting a major facility, which will open in the first quarter of 2023, and which has mobilized 150 million euros.
A substantial sum that has forced the city and the metropolis to reduce their investments in other files.
Orléans, which already has a Zénith, has for example given up on becoming the first French city to use 100% electric buses.
Labeled Terre de jeux, the city on the banks of the Loire still hopes to welcome several foreign delegations in judo, fencing... during the Paris Olympics.
The three French federations of indoor team sports, basketball, handball and volleyball, also visited the facilities to schedule international matches from 2023.