Saint-Denis (AFP)

Before putting on the crampons himself in the afternoon, Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday a "huge boost" to "put sport at the heart of the nation" by the Olympics-2024 in Paris with the construction of 5,000 local facilities.

An amount of 200 million euros will thus be released, including 100 in 2022, confirmed the Head of State, still not declared a candidate for the 2022 presidential election, but who has increased investment announcements in recent weeks.

It is besides alongside the declared candidate Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, and president of the Solideo (delivery company of the Olympic works), that he also visited Thursday the site of the village of the athletes in Seine-Saint. -Denis, in the shade of fifteen cranes erected in the district adjacent to Carrefour Pleyel.

He "saluted the teamwork" and spoke with several workers of this site which covers more than 50 hectares and is due to be completed in December 2023.

A little earlier, from Tremblay-en-France and the poorest department in France, he rightly mentioned "a legacy issue" of the Olympics in terms of equipment.

"The objective is not simply to have medals, it is to put sport at the heart of the nation", with a view to the Olympics "but also afterwards," he said, alongside young people 3X3 basketball players.

He will wet the jersey himself in the afternoon in Poissy (Yvelines) by participating in a charity football match for the 50 years of the Variétés Club de France, then received at the Elysée for dinner.

At his side Thursday morning, the former professional basketball player Tony Parker warned him: "It's 90 minutes long".

"We will see if they take me out!", Retorted the president, who will "try to look good" as a right midfielder.

President Emmanuel Macron meets young people from the Ile-de-France region in a stadium in Tremblay-en-France, in the suburbs of Paris, October 14, 2021 Francois Mori POOL / AFP

The match will be played against the team of caregivers from the Poissy Saint-Germain-en-Laye intercommunal hospital center and its recipe given to the Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris-Hôpitaux de France, chaired by Brigitte Macron.

- "A little catching up" -

In the meantime, Emmanuel Macron has praised a sport plan "good for the whole nation", which will "give a huge boost to practices" by 2024.

Will thus be built, with "at least 50%" of funding provided by the State, 1,000 "citystade" (multisports ground), 1,000 dojos and combat sports halls, 500 3X3 basketball courts to boost practice, 500 courts padel tennis, 500 skateparks, 200 mobile sports sites such as pools, or even "innovative" equipment using digital technology.

President Emmanuel Macron (center) and Prime Minister Jean Castex as well as the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo are presented with the model of the Olympic village in Saint-Ouen, October 14, 2021 SARAH MEYSSONNIER POOL / AFP

"This plan comes a little late, it should have been initiated in 2018 with a view to a sporting legacy", reacted to AFP deputy Régis Juanico (Génération.s), who finds that "it makes a little catching up ".

- Objective of medals -

Asked also about the criticisms concerning his remarks urging French sportsmen after the Tokyo Olympics to "do much more" in 2024 in terms of medals, Emmanuel Macron regretted "journalistic comments": "I did not see much athletes shaken by what I said, "he said.

"We took stock and re-mobilized. That's what all coaches do every day with their team, that's high-level sport," he said.

France brought in just 33 Olympic medals from Tokyo, below the score of 42 in Rio.

For Paris, he had mentioned in mid-September, the objective of "Top 5" nations, or about 70 medals according to the Tokyo ranking.

A goal considered very ambitious by some, such as boxer Sarah Ourahmoune, vice-president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) and vice-Olympic champion in Rio, for whom it should rather be "50/60 medals", had- it released Tuesday evening during a debate at Sciences Po.

After his visit to the athletes' village site, the president made a stop at the headquarters of the organizing committee (Cojo).

In the brand new and wooden atrium, in front of some 500 employees and partners, the president of Cojo, Tony Estanguet estimated that the "1016 days" that remain before the Games were "not going to be a long quiet river".

President Emmanuel Macron with the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo during the visit of the site of the athletes' village in Saint-Ouen, October 14, 2021 SARAH MEYSSONNIER POOL / AFP

For now, "we are there, we must continue" because "everything must be perfect in 2024" for these "Games to be exemplary", added Emmanuel Macron.

© 2021 AFP