Inclusion through sport in France: the cry of alarm from the mayors of working-class neighborhoods
Amateur sport in France is largely funded by the cities.
Photo: RC Chilly
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
4 min
Monday February 1, Garges-Lès-Gonesse, city of Val-d'Oise, hosted the Grenelle for education and inclusion through sport.
Based on the “Banlieue Plan” of 2017, elected officials from all sides are proposing 10 measures to save sport in working-class neighborhoods.
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From Garges-Lès-Gonesse
,
A Grenelle on education and inclusion through sport, organized in the town hall of Garges-Lès-Gonesse in the youngest department in France, brought together mayors and sports players, all mobilized to save sport in working-class neighborhoods.
In 2020, in a forum addressed to the press, more than 80 sportsmen, presidents of associations and federation, mayors or deputies demanded a "
Grenelle of education and inclusion through sport
" and the creation of a fund of 50 million euros which was to guarantee the "
survival of associations involved in the neighborhoods
".
"
Sport, a right violated for the inhabitants of working-class neighborhoods
"
“
It's a hot topic.
Covid-19 is a blow to our suffering sports clubs.
We do everything we can as mayors.
In our working-class towns, our volunteers go beyond being sports educators, they support children,
”explains Benoit Jimenez, mayor of Garges-les-Gonesses.
Great sportsmen come from working-class neighborhoods as indicated by Patrick Haddad, mayor of Sarcelles, who cites the example of footballer Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City.
"
Sport is a right still too violated for the inhabitants of working-class districts
", even launches the Mayor of Grigny, Philippe Rio.
For Catherine Arenou, mayor of Chanteloup-les-Vignes, sport remains above all "
the time of small pleasures, the time of life, the time of youth
".
According to Valérie Pecresse, president of the Ile-de-France region, the link between youth and sport must not "
be unraveled with Covid-19
".
The mayors, the leading financial contributors to amateur sport in France (12.6 billion euros according to Insse), propose to the State a plan of measures such as the establishment of an emergency fund to support associations socio-sports which have lost many licensees.
Or a plan of 10,000 jobs oriented towards sports associations.
With a view to next summer, the mayors want a summer revival of sporting dynamics in neighborhoods in difficulty.
Holding on to the shock after the coronavirus crisis
Often, yesterday's champions come from working-class neighborhoods, such as former judoka Larbi Benboudaoud, head of the French women's team and performance director of the federation.
"
I am a kid from these working-class neighborhoods," he
testifies.
It is important for the French Judo Federation to have a solid base which also involves working-class neighborhoods and educators.
"
"
We are talking about the difficulties of professional football and we are not talking about amateur football which suffers greatly with the disappearance of sponsors or the recipe for refreshments.
How many clubs will be able to withstand the shock.
In football, it is the masses that make the elite,
”suggests Frédéric Thiriez, former president of the Football League and candidate for the next election of the French Football Federation.
"
The state will not leave you all alone,
" Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu assured by videoconference
.
It is sport that allowed me to find my place in French society, and I have not forgotten it.
My belief is that sport is important in neighborhoods
.
The minister indicated that 30 million euros would be released for the construction of sports infrastructure in the neighborhoods.
Supported jobs and civic services should be put in place, according to Roxana Maracineanu.
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