Pétanque in Ile-de-France: "We really lack covered grounds"

In Île-de-France as elsewhere, pétanque clubs primarily attract a senior audience.

An essential activity for some to break the isolation and maintain themselves physically.

As the days shrink and the cold sets in, what about the covered or at least sheltered areas?

Hélène Belly, president of the regional committee of the French Federation of petanque and Provençal game, takes stock.

Do you have enough indoor pétanque grounds in the region?

HELEN BELLY

.

No really not.

We lack it.

There aren't even ten.

The problem stems from the excessively high price of land.

Even building small bowling alleys with a maximum of six lanes is impossible for us.

With the Greater Paris taking place, many clubs have completely lost their ground on the outskirts.

Very often, in the eyes of elected officials, pétanque is second level.

But I think it's very important.

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In terms of social ties in particular?

It allows you to break the isolation and spend two or three hours in a friendly and warm atmosphere.

Especially in these times of epidemic, which has also caused us to lose a lot of licensees (from 21,500 to 17,000 between 2020 and 2021).

We must also keep in mind that this sport is very affordable.

A license costs around 40 euros, this is an important point.

There is also the physical aspect.

Pétanque allows you to maintain a certain activity. We walk from one end to the other, we lower ourselves. I have already heard cardiologists advise to continue, because all these steps, even at a slow pace, maintain our body. There is an association "Au-devant de la boule" which promotes pétanque as part of healthy sport in Paris. They are very active with hospitals, especially with the Hôtel-Dieu. In people undergoing rehabilitation, who have had heart problems or strokes, this can be very beneficial. My story is different, but I, for example, came to pétanque after a nervous breakdown at the age of 26. It allowed me to learn to play with people I didn't know, to open up to the outside rather than stay within four walls. I'm 60 and still passionate about it.