Strasbourg (AFP)

Towel in hand, a coach cleans the weight machines and other treadmills lined up in a large room in downtown Strasbourg: after seven months of closure imposed by the pandemic, users and managers are delighted to see, finally, " The end of the tunnel".

"It makes me really happy to come back here. The room has been closed since October 23, it was starting to take a long time," says Jordan Bouvier, state-certified trainer, who is coming out of several months of partial unemployment.

"We had to dust off each machine," he laughs.

Even housekeepers, his colleagues are happy to return to work: smiles can be guessed behind the masks, the excitement of the reunion gives an atmosphere of "back to school" to this great spring cleaning.

Together, they are fine-tuning the final preparations in order to welcome the public in compliance with the new health standards: a marking on the ground imposes a direction of movement, half of the machines and lockers are condemned to respect the reception gauge set at 50 % of capacities, and bottles of disinfectants are made available to each user.

"We are ready, we can not wait to welcome the members", rejoices Hakim Chelfaoui, one of the managers, leader of a network of 18 sports halls in the Grand Est for the Keep Cool brand.

There was, he said, a "sense of injustice" as cinemas, museums, and terraces reopened on May 19.

"We had the impression of being forgotten, since we talked a lot about restaurants, but we neglected the sports halls", he regrets.

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Hakim Chelfaoui recognizes above all that the period of closure has "put a blow to the financial health" of the company which requested a loan guaranteed by the State and renegotiated certain maturities with banks and donors.

- "Rediscover the life before" -

To limit the damage, the staff did not sit idly by: a mobile application for playing sports at home was developed, and outdoor training sessions were offered.

But these alternative solutions have not always made it possible to retain customers.

"Subscriptions have been canceled, on average, we have lost 30% of our members", indicates Hakim Chelfaoui.

"But we are confident, I think people want to get back to their former life and to do sport again".

Sign that the wait is there, the solicitations multiply as the reopening approaches, on social networks as at the reception of the establishment.

"Before, I came four times a week. There I gained weight, but I can't wait to come back, it's good to be able to let off steam", testifies Ahmet Karayel, 23-year-old student, came to inquire about access times.

"The gym is not only a place to build muscles, it is also a place to socialize, to de-stress after a day of revision", explains this regular.

"It's really not the same as exercising at home."

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The challenge for everyone is now to prevent sports halls from turning into clusters when they reopen.

As in restaurants, brands therefore encourage users to download the TousAntiCovid application and flash a QR code at each session, in order to warn them if a customer tests positive for Covid-19.

"It is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended", insists Hakim Chelfaoui.

"It's a good way that should allow us to remain open. The real fight is that this virus is behind us."

© 2021 AFP