This is a serious time for the French sports movement. Already stunned by the confinement, then dejected by the postponement of the Tokyo Games, he took the latest health measures taken by the political authorities as a new hard blow. Its amateur sector is suffering. Its clubs see their licensees scatter in the wind. And the prospect of a further tightening of the rules to fight the pandemic, with a possible re-containment, makes him fear the worst.
Proof of its discouragement, the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) has gathered all its troops to appeal to the highest summit of the State. None failed. The result: an open letter to Emmanuel Macron, the President of the Republic (photo above, with Denis Masseglia, the president of the CNOSF). It is co-signed by 95 sports federations. Its title says a lot about the general atmosphere: “SOS: Sport in distress”.
Basically, the message is intended to be realistic. He describes a more than worrying situation, close to a state of emergency, with already more than a quarter of fewer memberships in the clubs, where many are wondering if they will be able to get through the year.
The signatories adopt the posture of good students, reminding the Head of State that they have done everything possible, for several months, to adapt “ to the vagaries and multiple divergent and sometimes contradictory applications of health doctrine on the ground. » They explain having “ established the most demanding health protocols, validated by the Ministries of both Sports and Health as well as the High Council of Public Health and the Interministerial Crisis Unit. »
But, despite these efforts, the activities “ are at a standstill in many territories, including green zones not subject to curfew. The very disparate decisions of the prefectures and the ARS (regional health agencies), in similar situations, are slowly killing the sport. »
The signatories take this opportunity to recall that “ practicing sport is good for your health and allows you to better resist the epidemic. »
And yet, they insist, the political authorities have never taken into account the specificities of the sports sector. They regret the absence of an appropriate support system. They deplore that, on the budgetary level, “ the few euros promised here are taken back from us there, in undignified and humiliating sleight of hand. »
Clearly, the French sports movement expected greater consideration at the top of the State, less than 4 years before the Paris 2024 Games. Instead, it painfully realizes that sport is not one of the priorities of the government, despite the presence at its head of Jean Castex, although presumed to be in the sports camp for having held the position of interministerial delegate to the Olympic and Paralympic Games for a time.
Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister of Sports, suggested it last April, in full confinement: “ Sport is not a priority today in the decisions taken by the government. » Obviously, she was telling the truth.
Beyond the substance, the letter sent Monday October 26 to Emmanuel Macron surprises with the choice of words and the tone used. They reflect a general feeling close to discouragement. The signatories say “ distraught. » They admit to having “ with a heavy but weary heart. » They talk about their “ incomprehension of suffering a stigmatization that is as violent as it is unfounded, because it is not supported by objective elements. »
By addressing Emmanuel Macron directly, they end their remarks with these two sentences: “ As you indicated, our society will have to live with the virus. We must therefore live with him until he is defeated, but we do not want to disappear before him. »
A Defense Council must be convened this Tuesday by the President of the Republic. Later in the day, the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, will receive the political forces and then the social partners at Matignon. A further tightening of health rules seems inevitable. Without a gesture from the State, in the form of a more specific aid system, the French movement fears that it will be fatal.
