Handball: and Viva Argentina at Grau!

Three of the Argentinian players and coach surround the organizers Sébastien Prunet and Alexandre Ville. FREE MIDI – MIKAEL ANISSET

At the end of the session, even the municipal police officers were entitled to a snapshot immortalizing the moment. MIDI LIBRE – MIKAEL ANISSET

Before today's training session, Diego Simonet took the time to answer the students. MIDI LIBRE – MIKAEL ANISSET

Lucas Moscariello (ex-MHB) et les Argentins à l’entraînement, mardi matin au Grau-du-Roi. MIDI LIBRE – MIKAEL ANISSET

Avant les Jeux Olympiques de Paris, la sélection nationale sud-américaine est en stage dans la station balnéaire gardoise jusqu’au 15 juillet. Un événement d’envergure pour la commune.

This Tuesday in July, at Grau-du-Roi, is market day. The streets of the seaside resort are teeming with people. The first July tourists have taken up residence. A short distance away, at the Palais des sports et de la culture, the gymnasium stand was also full.
“Diego, Diego, Diego’’ come down from it, coming from the mouths of schoolchildren – 250 on the morning – at each goal of the half-center of Montpellier HB Diego Simonet, spearhead of the Argentina selection, in preparation camp, from June 25 to July 15, in the Graulenne city with a view to the OJ. Students from the Charles-Gros schools, in Aigues-Mortes, and André-Quiet, in Grau-du-Roi. And budding handball players, for some, at the Terre de Camargue club (Aigues-Mortes, Le-Grau-du-Roi and Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze).

Alexandre Ville, one of the organizers: ''We're living a waking dream''

''We wanted at all costs to show the sharing they gave us with the kids from the canton'', s& rsquo;enthusiasm Sébastien Prunet, president of the Gard club. ''We're living a waking dream, says Alexandre Ville, one of the organizers. Basically, it’s a group of friends and Eric (Torremocha) pushed the project. We tried to bring in as many partners as possible.''

The success is total. To the great joy of Eric Torremocha, whose proximity to Diego Simonet did the rest: ''I know Diego well. I am a partner in the MHB club. Everyone wanted to welcome them, we were in competition with Benidorm (Spain). At the end of March, the Argentine delegation came to see the installations. Anything they asked for, they got it.'' The requirement for quality flooring was one of them. Mission accomplished: ''The president of the MHB, Julien Deljarry, kindly lent us the one from the Arena.''

Saint-Jean festival in Aigues-Mortes, concert on the beach, manade, kayak…

The 17 players and 7 staff members, who are staying at the Thalazur hotel in Port-Camargue (a private floor) are a bit like home. ''It’s a very good opportunity to prepare, they are very happy and are very, very well received'', testifies the new coach of the ;rsquo;Usam Nîmes David Degouy, assistant with Argentina from 2013 to 2017, came to remember good memories with Gonzalo Carou (assistant to the A ; ex-player at Istres).

If an (intense) hand session punctuates daily life (see opposite), the Gladiadores (their nickname) have something to occupy their free time. ''Sunday, we took them to the Saint-Jean celebration in Aigues-Mortes, recounts Torremocha. They were also treated to a concert on a private beach, went to Saint-Laurent-d’Aigouze in a manade, saw the firefighters at Le Grau, did judo, kayak…' '

The Argentinian staff: ''The best preparation of all those made''< /h2>

''Guillermo Milano (coach) and Gonzalo, twenty years of national team, say that it’s the best preparation for a tournament of all do. Everything is magnificent. We are in a good hotel, we have good flooring, we ask for ice to do the cold baths afterwards. It’s perfect.'' Words of Simonet, please !

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