They are the invisible ones in sport.
The ones you never hear.
This Thursday, fifteen presidents of indoor sports federations (badminton, basketball, boxing, bowling, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, judo, karate, kick-boxing, wrestling, French boxing savate, ice sports, table tennis, volley) uttered a cry of despair.
Just like what the world of culture or that of catering can experience, the amateur sport microcosm wanted to launch an appeal for awareness of the damage caused by the health crisis.
It is therefore united that the bosses of the three major indoor sports (basketball, handball, volleyball) have united around them more discreet disciplines such as badminton, bowling or kickboxing.
For more than an hour, the main actors recalled their daily suffering.
Today, the hour is serious and they await answers and actions from the State and mainly from the Ministry of Sports.
Denis Masseglia, the president of the National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF), led the way by indicating “that it was absolutely necessary that athletes can quickly see the end of the tunnel.
However, we do not see anything coming.
"
Why such confusion?
Since November 17 and a meeting with Emmanuel Macron, the President of the Republic, who had announced his rescue plan for sport (resumed in gymnasiums for minors on December 15 and adults on January 20, and 400 million euros aid for sport including 100 million euros in the Pass'Sport system), sports players still see nothing coming.
They represent 2.2 million licensees and 27,000 clubs
“The flagship measure is Pass'Sport with 100 million euros in aid,” recalls Jean-Pierre Siutat, the president of basketball.
It still needs to be updated.
We naively thought that in January, we would take advantage of the aid fund.
It is not so.
"
Asked, the Ministry of Sports ensures that the situation is normal.
“The Pass'Sport device is planned for the start of the school year for the next sports season.
The ministry will release an emergency budget for the most affected federations.
It is a credit from the recovery plan which switches to emergency aid and which must be voted on by the National Sports Agency.
They will happen, the federations will be able to obtain substantial aid.
It will take a board of directors.
It's a matter of the week.
We will ask for the exact situation of each of the federations to adjust the aid in the most precise way.
For clubs, there are two types of aid, a general solidarity fund intended for clubs which have at least one employee (up to 10,000 euros or 20% of turnover per month) and a budget of 15 million euros last year, renewed this year for other associations which have no employee and which are not eligible for other devices.
"
The feeling of having been abandoned
Why did the small world of sport mobilize this Thursday?
It's because he feels like he's been abandoned.
"Amateur sport is in danger and suffering," explains Philippe Bana, the president of handball.
We are very worried and we understand the anger of our licensees.
We are gathered here to say stop, there is a danger that no one sees on the licensees and the clubs.
The anxiety is above all around the recovery and its financial balance which is very unstable.
"
Obviously, the financial aspect is the source of concern for these fifteen indoor sports which represent 2.2 million licensees and 27,000 clubs.
“The financial loss is between 18% to 40% depending on the case,” explains Jean-Pierre Siutat.
But it's not just that.
"The clubs are exasperated to find themselves alone and on the front line:" We hear from the clubs:
but what is the federation doing?
, says Eric Tanguy, the president of volleyball.
The federation does not help us but we do not have the means.
I do not blame the clubs which are in front of angry licensees.
"
Kickboxing has lost 57% of its licensees
For almost a year, amateur sport has been completely at a standstill, as the strong man of volleyball summed up: “Sport resumed on July 1, but it was not possible for us, because traditionally it was t is the period of works in the rooms.
In three weeks, it will be a year since the first confinement.
However, we played four weeks, and played four games.
This is the summary of a year!
It will be two unranked seasons.
"
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Among the disciplines most affected, there is the kick-boxing which lost 57% of its licensees: “The solution, what is it ?, asks Nadir Allouache.
The CNOSF wrote several letters but we have no response, except that of partial unemployment.
It's not sufficient.
In the neighborhoods, we occupy an important place.
Children need sports.
We have been in pain for over a year.
We were asked for physical distancing, we did.
Our ministry has forgotten us.
We want answers.
We are only told:
be patient
.
"
The absence of sport creates "gang phenomena"
The suffering of clubs is terrible for sports like French boxing: "We forget the educational dimension," explains Gilles Leduigou, vice-president of the federation of French boxing and savate.
We leave people to their own devices in the street.
This creates gang phenomena, as we saw recently in the news.
"
There are also the psychological problems that appear after this blank year: "We have 12,000 judo teachers in France who no longer have a job," explains Stéphane Nomis.
Some people need to see shrinks to get help and we can't even support them financially… ”
All of them highlight the fear of losing volunteers.
“We have gone under the bar of 1,400 clubs since the loss of 50 clubs, explains James Blateau, the boss of gymnastics.
This trend is explained by the attrition of volunteers.
Our structures are small and often only depend on a few people.
These volunteers are committed to fulfilling their mission, which is first of all to welcome our licensees.
Today it is impossible.
"
They will be received by the Elysée
The anger of the federates is also expressed in the face of the general feeling of indifference.
“Since the month of December, we don't talk about us anymore, assures Céline Mothes, general secretary of ice sports.
We did have a glimmer of hope for minors, but for adults, it's radio silence.
"
For lack of response, these federations asked to be received this Monday at the Elysee Palace.
Their demands are simple: "We expect practitioners to return to our clubs as soon as possible," asks Philippe Bana.
We are obviously talking about training but also competition.
We want a direct support fund for federations and a tax exemption for clubs.
We want the creation of assisted jobs to help the recovery plan as well as a national communication campaign to help us get going again.
»Anger roars in amateur sport…