Presidential: do not forget sport for all in the countryside!

Virginie Phulpin 7:25 am, October 14, 2021

A sporting day for Emmanuel Macron. Before going to play football with the Variety Club of France, the President of the Republic spends the morning in Seine St Denis, in particular on the construction site of the Olympic village. He must announce a budget of 250 million euros to build local equipment. This is the opportunity for the presidential candidates to tell us about their project concerning sport. 

Virginie Phulpin suspects that sport will not become a major subject of the campaign. Nevertheless, there is its place, and the least we can say is that the candidates are discreet on this subject. When it comes to congratulating the Blues after their victory in the League of Nations, there are people. But to stroke the supporters in the direction of the hair, that does not make a sporting policy. However, the next or the next tenant of the Élysée will receive the Rugby World Cup in 2023 and the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2024. Events that will see the eyes of the whole world turn to France, they are part of sports diplomacy.

And then beyond the questions on the sports elite, on the means that we allocate to our champions, oh so important questions, there is also the legacy that these events will leave in the country. The famous transformation into a sporting nation. Today Emmanuel Macron is getting started with the announcement of an envelope of 250 million euros to build local equipment.

And Virginie Phulpin wants to hear from all the candidates on their sports program.

She spoke with Carole Gomez, who is a researcher in the geopolitics of sport and who co-published a column in Le Monde with entrepreneur David Blough to say that sport is underexploited as a solution to our social problems.

And I think she's touching on something essential.

Sport can play a major role as the glue of our society, as a learning tool.

So let's talk about it! 

Sports practice is also a matter of public health.

That's why it's not as far-fetched as it sounds to want to hear from candidates about sport. As we know, there is an increase in sedentary lifestyle which will have devastating effects in the medium term. The sports practice of the youngest is at a catastrophic level in France. The health crisis hasn't helped, and half of the children and teens have significantly reduced their exercise time in the past two years. What do the candidates propose, what is their vision of the sport of tomorrow, how to support the actors of sport on a daily basis, from teachers to educators, including volunteers from associations?

Yesterday, the students of the sports sector demonstrated to denounce the weakness of the means granted to their course while the numbers have doubled in 10 years.

They also represent the sport of tomorrow in France.

So applaud Mbappé and Benzema, okay.

But it is not just the sports elite, there is above all sport for all.

And he should not be forgotten in this campaign