It was to be a new white season.
Without ascent or descent.
Due to the health crisis linked to Covid-19, the French Basketball Federation proclaimed in March the end of its amateur championships and the status quo in all divisions, except two climbs from N1 in Pro B. But the situation could change. soon and benefit the Cergy-Pontoise club.
The Val-d'Oise club could indeed benefit from the merger of reason between Gries-Oberhoffen and Souffelweyersheim. Two Alsatian Pro B clubs that would have to come together to continue the adventure in the antechamber of the Jeep Elite. A decision which, through the play of musical chairs, could allow a resident of N2 to access the N1. The Federation would also have offered a wild card, an invitation, for interested clubs. Among them, Cergy-Pontoise is in a good position. According to calculations, based on the sporting seasons from 2017 to 2020, the club would point to the first place in this ranking.
“We submitted a file to the Federation, confirms Amara Sy, president of Cergy-Pontoise and… Paris Basketball player (Pro B). Since we took over the club (
Editor's note: in 2017
) our ambition is to go as high as possible. Sportingly, we are very consistent and we often haven't gone far from the climb, but if we have to get there with a wild card, we also take. We are ready in terms of the budget (
around 670,000 euros for the club as a whole this season
), infrastructure with a hall worthy of a Pro B (
the hall has a capacity of 1,650 seats and the club is working on an extension 500 additional places
) or the workforce with players who already know the N1.
We have been working upstream for a long time to be ready.
We try to be pro even if we are amateurs.
"
This is where we fight!
Check out the video clip of the Spartans in their Maradas arena ⚔️
Next home fight this Saturday against Loon Plage
🎥 @ sagacontinuzes #GoSpartiates ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/nP1RjdFjJM
- Spartans of Cergy-Pontoise (@CPBB_Officiel) October 6, 2020
Three years ago, the “Spartans”, the club's nickname, then not considering themselves sufficiently ready, had refused to apply for a wild card which had returned to Tours. The situation has since evolved. The club, which has seen many professional players start and is with 650 licensees in the French top 5, is supported by the two municipalities and the powerful agglomeration of Cergy-Pontoise which brings together 13 municipalities.
But Cergy-Pontoise is not the only club to position itself, Lons-le-Saunier, LyonSO or Berck have also filed a file to take the elevator to the N1. "The decision is up to the Federation, it does not belong to us," continues Amara Sy. We just made sure to control what we can control. But if we get the wild card it would be a reward for everything we've done so far. We hope to be fixed quickly to be able to prepare. "
