Regional sports meetings: Occitanie reaffirms its role as a player in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games

Kamel Chibli, vice-president of the Region, surrounded by Michaël Guigou and Perrine Laffont, this Thursday March 14 at the Montpellier Exhibition Center. Occitanie region

134 days before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, 400 players in regional sport gathered in Montpellier, on the sidelines of the France – Argentina handball match, at the Arena. The opportunity for leaders and organizers to understand the power of attraction of Occitanie.

"Occitanie Ambition 2024". A label and an approach that is gaining momentum less than five months before the Paris Olympics. Because the Region wants to be an actor in these Games even if no event takes place on its soil.

While 49 countries have already decided to come and prepare the games on renovated and certified facilities, Kamel Chibli, vice-president of the Region in charge of Education, Youth and des Sports, wanted to make an impression by bringing together 400 players in regional sport at the Montpellier Exhibition Centre, this Thursday, March 14, on the sidelines of the France – Argentina handball match.

A fine line-up of champions and Olympic hopefuls

The elected official was surrounded by the greatest regional champions to remind us that "we are fortunate to have athletes who shine at the world level."

Anthony Jeanjean (BMX freestyle) and Louise Aïna Taboulet (skateboard), regional leaders in extreme sports at the Games. Occitanie region

From Michaël Guigou, three-time Olympic handball champion, to Perrine Laffont, Olympic freestyle ski champion, the former gold medalists came to encourage the regional players of this Parisian summer, the Béziers cyclist Anthony Jeanjean (BMX fresstyle), the Montpellier basketball player Romane Bernies, the Toulouse disabled sports fencer Maxime Valet and the Audoise Louise Aïna Taboulet, the great hope of skateboarding.

The second part of these meetings made it possible to cross-reference numerous testimonies on the Region's profitable strategy to attract numerous selections for preparation courses: nearly 200 already recorded since 2023.

The map of all the preparation courses for the Olympic Games already recorded in the region by July 26. Midi Libre – Antoine Llop

Judo is popular in Montpellier: "We feel at home"

"For us, it's a beautiful story that continues. Our boys come to prepare in Montpellier every four years and it works, welcomed Stéphane Nomis, president of the French Judo Federation. D& #39;other cities have even offered us money to accommodate our preparation but in Montpellier we feel at home."

A way, also of returning the favor to a region which "accompanied us in the organization of the Euro in Montpellier even though Paris had told us no".

104 Olympic titles forged in Font-Romeu!

A flagship installation in terms of preparation, the Font-Romeu National Altitude Training Center has already seen 270 medalists, including 104 Olympic champions, come and forge their metal on its slopes. Echoing the satisfaction of its director Antoine Le Bellec, Kamel Chibli recalled that "Font-Romeu is a locomotive that we maintain by putting resources into it, with still projects underway for a recovery unit and accommodation, because the quality of the welcome is a key element to attract."

Also read:Kamel Chibli: "We want to make the Occitanie region a real open-air gymnasium"

Hervé André-Benoît, president of the International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE), came to testify on the major role of this event for 27 years in the rise of these disciplines to the Olympic firmament: "We fought for these disciplines to enter the Games, to have more visibility. And if today our champions like Anthony Jeanjean bring home medals, this will allow us to structure ourselves even more."

Patrice Canayer: "The collective ambition to shine"

For Patrice Canayer, manager of Montpellier Handball also elected to the Region in charge of attractiveness, "the role of clubs, organizers, communities and private actors are important for the leading tourist region that we are. But it is the influence that is important to attract and for that, we must involve the entire population in this ambition of building an inclusive and welcoming region."

Other internships could be implemented by July,  Kamel Chibli and his team having received a Japanese delegation in recent days.