Axel May, edited by Yanis Darras 08:33, September 21, 2022
The year 2022 will be a record year for "courtyard" sports, these collective sports such as basketball, volleyball or even handball, which are played indoors.
Everywhere in France, the clubs are reaching saturation.
“People want to play sports,” explains Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French Basketball Federation.
Indoor sports have never been so popular.
Volleyball, handball, basketball... "Courtyard" team sports are a hit with young and old alike!
"We think we will exceed half a million handball licensees by the end of the year. 500 to 600,000 licensees is more than in the heyday", explains the president of the French Handball Federation. , Philippe Bana.
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"A positive image"
Same observation in volleyball and basketball too.
The federations point out that the figures before the pandemic are being beaten.
A tidal wave as Philippe Bana says, which is explained by the exceptional results of the French in team sports at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
But for Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French basketball federation, this is not the only reason: "People want to play sports. People want to put their children in sport. And it's true what we have in basketball, a positive image. And the only limit we have today is the capacity of our clubs to accommodate more", he explains.
Football remains the leader
The French Basketball Federation already claims more than 700,000 licensees.
Last explanation for this increase in registrations: the development of additional practices such as handball or basketball three against three.
But despite their good results, these collective sports remain far from the juggernaut that is football.
In France alone, football has around two million licensees.