“The Lebrun effect is madness”

82 associations présentaient leurs activités.

This Saturday, September 7, the Associations Forum, held on the forecourt of the Mauguio arenas, was able to slip through the cracks, or almost! The eighty-two registered associations were therefore able to highlight their various activities, open to the people of Carnonnais and Melgoriens.

On the eve of the closing of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in Paris, did the clubs ride the wave of an event that captivated the planet? ? “We are present at the Associations Forum but we already have our full staff. We have 280 members”, explains Olivier Gullot, president of the Mauguio Volleyball Sports Association.

Have the remarkable performances of Toulouse's Antoine Dupont and the French rugby 7s team, Olympic champions, caused enrolments at the rugby school to explode ? “We talked about the Olympics but rugby, unlike other sports, is lucky to have a media showcase throughout the year. We will have more than 400 young people under 18 this year”, underlines the president of the Rugby Club Mauguio Carnon François Bernon.

The judo club of Mauguio, chaired by Christophe Recondu, has not felt the Teddy Riner effect either: “The old guys are back, that's good. I think we will have a real indication after the Sports Festival next weekend. It was about the Olympics and judo is not the only sport highlighted. Registrations may have benefited swimming, athletics, table tennis."

Table tennis is without a doubt the big winner this summer thanks to the exploits of the Lansargues brothers, Alexis and Félix Lebrun: "It's crazy. People started contacting us as soon as the Olympics started via social networks. We added an extra slot on Saturday. It was full by the end of the morning of the Associations Forum. We put people on a waiting list. “We should go from 30 to 50 licensees”, underlines Jean-Michel Léon, one of the managers of the table tennis section of the MJC of Mauguio Carnon.

The Forum of associations of Mauguio Carnon has fully played its role. It is up to the Carnonnais and Melgoriens to make their choices!

Midi Libre correspondent: 06 87 45 50 73