Jean-Marie Virenque is gone, the Sétois “ping” is an orphan

Un homme au service des autres et de son sport.

L’un des plus grands bénévoles du sport sétois s’est éteint et son départ prive l’ASPTT Sète d’une figure tutélaire.

Jean-Marie Virenque has been at the service of table tennis for more than fifty years, every evening at the table since the creation of ping at the ASPTT which he joined by merging his Barrou club.

Coach of all Sète children

A player with finesse and ball placement, he then became a coach. « He could advise the players all the better as he was the club's best player in the early days. Who else but him can be honored to have beaten our world champion Jean-Philippe Gatien ? », declares Patrick Misse, who was like so many others among his students. « He was the coach of all the Sète children. For years, he went to each school to introduce ping to students and created the end of year challenge for primary schools. He also trained Alain Buonomo and Stéphan Urena, the former and current presidents of the club. »

A Sétois anchored to his city and the sea.

A whole life devoted to his second family

Jean-Marie Virenque also became a referee, participated in the ASPTT steering committee and also took over from Alain Lozac as president of the section disabled sports. An essential leader of the Sétois ping. « During the restart last October, he prepared our match sheets sitting on his hospital bed. He lived ping, to the point that he convinced the host of Pergolines to create a ping activity. Until the end, Jean-Marie gave everything with unparalleled dedication and generosity to his second family, the Ping family of the ASPTT. »

To his family and loved ones, Midi Libre presents its sincere condolences.