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Basketball: appointed coach of the Bleues, Toupane is not a "discount choice" for the Federation

2021-10-07T17:02:57.038Z


Appointed Wednesday at the head of the French women's basketball team to succeed Valérie Garnier, Jean-Aimé Toupane returned, during a


His speech was expected.

Thursday morning, during a video press conference, Jean-Aimé Toupane delivered his first words in the skin of the new coach of the French women's team.

An appointment that the Federation had announced the day before and which - to put it mildly - surprised everyone.

Through his responses - and those of Jean-Pierre Siutat (president of the Federation), Alain Contensoux (DTN), Jacques Commères (director of performance and teams in France) and Céline Dumerc (general manager of the 'French women's team) - we understand above all that Toupane was not asking to succeed Valérie Garnier at the head of the Blue.

But this competitor, known for his harshness and his defense when he was a player, accepted the challenge.

[📣 OFFICIAL] Jean-Aimé Toupane appointed head of the French women's team 🇫🇷, assisted by Cathy Melain.

All the info ⤵ # EDFBasket https://t.co/GmkAHOH04p

- French Basketball Teams (@FRABasketball) October 6, 2021

“I am already part of the house (

he is a coach at the Federal Center and coach of the French U20 men's team

), the Federation has always wanted to work with national coaches, explains Toupane.

Why not me ?

It was offered to me and I accepted without thinking too much.

"

"He will not hesitate to bang his fist on the table and it will be necessary with this team"

While many coaches specializing in women's basketball had applied, the choice of Toupane surprised and even irritated. “We solicited people, others came forward, we studied about fifteen applications,” replies Siutat. We wanted to seek out the best (…) Financial choices were never mentioned. We did not make a choice on the cheap. We fight so hard to be efficient in 2024, to find partners. It is not a subject to try to earn 2,000 or 3,000 euros per month on a coach. The subject is to find the best, the one that will embody this different project. "

And it should be. Due to his career, his experience and his lack of expertise in the female environment, the father of Axel Toupane - recent NBA champion with Milwaukee - should bring a different vision. "He will not hesitate to bang his fist on the table and it will be necessary with this team," said someone close to the France team. “It will take some time to adapt, but today women's basketball is inspired by men's basketball,” he assures us. Regarding high performance, the levers are the same. I will be able to rely on Cathy (

Melain, his assistant with whom he already works at the Federation

) and Céline (

Dumerc

). I have no pressure, we do this work for those feelings. My will will be to do better. But I want to pay tribute to Valérie (

Garnier

) who has done a great job for eight years.

I am not starting with a blank sheet.

I must continue this road.

"

The kid from Kaolack in Senegal does not hide either his "pride" to be one of the rare "blacks" at the head of a selection.

“This further proves the openness of the federation.

I'm proud but it makes the mission even more exciting because I want to do well.

I dare to hope that I was still taken for my skills (

laughs

).

"

Proud of you dad 🙏🏽 https://t.co/XscO2aeLLW

- Axel Toupane (@ toups_33) October 6, 2021

The objective will be to "climb on the first step" during the Paris Games in 2024. "It is an ultimate objective but we have a qualifier for the Euro, another for the World Cup and it is all these intermediate stages which will allow us to plan for Paris 2024. We do not lose sight of this ultimate objective, but we must not forget the other stages either.

We must be present in all these competitions.

"

According to Siutat, the internationals would have welcomed the announcement of Toupane's appointment with a good eye.

"Sandrine Gruda is delighted," assures the president of the Federation.

The players were not part of the process (

the choice of the coach

) but it is the reactions that count.

"

The Toupane - Melain tandem will make their debut on the bench next month for the qualifying matches for Euro 2023 - on November 11 in Ukraine then on November 14 in Villeneuve-d'Ascq against Lithuania.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-10-07

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