Paris (AFP)

Céline Dumerc, former emblematic leader of the French basketball team, has decided to extend by one season until June 2022 with Basket Landes, thus postponing at least a year her last season in club, announced Friday the club based in Mont-de-Marsan.

Initially, Céline Dumerc, 38, was to stop at the end of the 2020/21 season, which she is playing with Basket Landes.

But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, almost the entire season will have been played behind closed doors, a frustrating situation "depriving our captain of a last dance at the height of his career", underlined the club from Mons .

"It was not obvious, it was not immediately clear in my head. Honestly, if they had not come to see me, I would not have changed my mind, I would have stayed on. my idea to quit at the end of the year ", explained" Caps ", Céline Dumerc's nickname, at a press conference, not a big fan of going back on a decision taken.

By prolonging for a sixth season in the Landes, the legendary captain of the Bleues, Olympic vice-champion in London in 2012 and European champion in 2009, offers himself the hope of a last year in front of the public, if the health situation allows it for the 2021/22 season.

- "Want to continue stronger" -

"I would prefer to finish in full rooms, but who knows if next year we will be able to find the public, we do not know", she underlined.

"Thank you Celine for giving us this + last last dance +", launched the club in a press release published on its website.

"Putting everything on the balance, between the desire to continue and the desire to stop, clearly it is the desire to continue that was stronger. It's not a comeback, just a continuity" , added Céline Dumerc.

"I am backing up. I will no longer comment on the durations. I made a mistake in announcing my retirement, I will not do it again", she slipped with a smile at a press conference, however aware of the physical limits of his body approaching forty.

Basket Landes currently occupies 2nd place in the Women's League with fourteen victories for only four defeats, three victories for Bourges, undefeated leader (17 matches, 17 victories).

The Mons club played for the first time in their history in the Euroleague, failing to qualify for the quarter-finals, with only one success in six matches.

In parallel with his club career, Dumerc joined the staff of the France team by becoming general manager.

She played 262 matches in the blue jersey, a record, the last in the Euro-2017 final lost against Spain almost four years ago.

She will participate in the management of the Blue at Euro-2021 (June 17-27) and in the preparation of the Tokyo Olympics (July 23-August 8).

© 2021 AFP