Sole candidate in the running following the abandonment of Didier Séminet, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra will become president of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) on June 19. She will succeed David Lappartient. The former Minister of Sports, who was already " confident » following the oral exam, considering that his project had “ more thickness ", confided in Francs Jeux about this end of campaign and the project it carries.
How did you react to the announcement of Didier Séminet's withdrawal?
Like everyone else, I was very surprised by the way things turned out. I regret this decision because it takes away a choice from the voters. As a good sportswoman, I like to play matches until the end, especially when I'm winning them. I found this gesture very inelegant. I published a letter that aimed to bring togetherThis remains a very important democratic deadline; we need everyone's mobilization. It is an important elective general meeting, both for the presidency and for the board of directors.
Does that take the pressure off you?
In any case, I want to invest the next few days in gathering and preparing things well. It's important to gain broad support so that we can then weigh in strongly and unite. In an election, it's always better to have an offer. On the other hand, I see that there was a kind of irresistible force in this campaign linked to the method I used, based on listening, work, and values.
Why do you want to become president of the CNOSF?
Because I want to fight for French sport at a time when its interests are threatened. I don't want the legacy to fade. In our society, we completely underutilize what sport can bring in terms of health, confidence for young people, social cohesion, etc. These are my three motivations: to defend sport, to help place its benefits more at the heart of society, and to prevent the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games, on which I worked so hard, from fading. We have the project. Now, we need some budgetary fuel. A huge event is coming up in five years, the Alps 2030. It must be a common thread, an extraordinary stimulus.
Is being a former Minister of Sports an asset or a liability?
I think it's an asset for experience and knowledge of the subjects. For me, it's perfectly clear: the presidency of the CNOSF has nothing to do with a ministerial role. You answer to your constituents, the federations. You are at the beating heart of the operationality of sport. We are at the heart of the field, close to the volunteers, to all those who support French sport on a daily basis, including the athletes. I am not mistaken about my role or my perspectives: I have chosen to distance myself from political life; it is a commitment to civil society with a single party, that of French sport.
During your oral presentation, you insisted that you were not a politician. Is this because the label of former minister might raise eyebrows among some voters?
In any case, my opponent tried to play on that. They said I was outside the sports movement, even though I'm a pure federal product throughout my career as a high-level athlete. I've been involved in voluntary work for my federation since I was 30. I got involved in the working group on the retraining of high-level athletes with federal teams, and then I was elected twice.
I am not a politician, I have never signed up for any party and I have never politicized sport. I have always maintained a factual, constructive stance, serving the interests of sport. He also accused me of not saying anything about cutting our budgets, which is a blatant lie since I reacted first on LinkedInI called a number of people directly to tell them my thoughts. I am keeping myself very informed about this issue, which allows me to say today that we must continue this fight.
Concretely, your ministerial experience could be used to negotiate and avoid budget cuts ?
Yes, I believe that my knowledge of the issues and my ability to make arguments about the societal impact of sport are a major asset. Knowing the political decision, the hidden moments of the decision, knowing when to apply pressure, knowing the interlocutors, knowing how they reason… This allows you to save time, to call faster, to be seen faster. I will explain to them that attacking sport is not the solution. It is very damaging to sport, which does not deserve it, it is a betrayal of the legacy of the Games, and what's more, it does not solve the equation in terms of public finances. For these three reasons, it is beside the point.
Would your program be compatible with a reduction in the CNOSF's resources?
Absolutely. I specified that the final translation of my program into the operational roadmap would take into account the latest budgetary decisions. I also remind you that the CNOSF, in this cycle that is beginning, has resources to support sports development projects. It is the recipient of 20% of the liquidation surplus from the Games – 20% goes to the IOC and the remaining 60% will go into an endowment fund. The NOC can count on the joint marketing agreement for the Alps 2030, which also provides significant room for maneuver, in the order of at least €65 million.
We must be extremely aggressive with our budgets because cutting a subsidy, which has also been contractually agreed upon, is unacceptable. If we have to absorb this bad news, we must fight to ensure that it does not affect the financial relationship between the NOC and the State in the following years. These are the two priority short-term battles. Beyond that, the third challenge is to use the resources the NOC has thanks to the marketing agreement for the Alps and thanks to this Games liquidation bonus in the most intelligent way possible. These resources are not for the operation of the NOC; they are there to support sports development projects.
The Paris 2024 bonus is expected to be much higher than expected. Is this a pleasant surprise?
This is good news for French sport, as the bulk of this surplus—the 60% managed collectively—will be used to fund sports development projects, enabling the Games to continue to be celebrated, and supporting athletes. Now, we must remain combative so that the sustainable resources of French sport are also strengthened.
Before Didier Séminet's withdrawal, the smaller federations seemed less clearly on your side than the larger ones. How do you explain this?
I think the younger ones were more undecided because they had worked with me less. They might have had the impression, or fear, that I had a pro-Olympic federation bias with my story about the Olympics. The campaign allowed me to demonstrate my availability and my willingness to listen. I've received a lot of messages since the grand oral, saying: " We are really happy, we found ourselves in your program, we found things that we had told you. »
You've held numerous workshops and opportunities for discussion with federation presidents. Is the idea really to build a joint project?
Absolutely. As I said, for me, there is no such thing as a small federation. When you're dealing with sport, there is no such thing as a small responsibility. I showed them, through my proposals, that they would all be important to me, without distinction. I want the NOC to be useful and at the service of all its members. I proposed a method for this with working group logic, the re-creation of the college of multi-sport or affinity federations. I took concrete initiatives, pilot groups, for a system on sexual violence that would show that the NOC's support would be directed primarily towards small federations.
"Why do sport and the environment go so well together? It's because sport, in itself, is sustainable development."
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What are the three concrete measures that most represent your vision?
I would say the territorialized debate leading to the white paper on French sport; the management, in an ad hoc disciplinary committee, of cases of sexual violence for federations that request the intervention of the CNOSF; and a renovated French House of Sport, much more attractive for the entire sports movement community, athletes and our partners.
What about eSports?
I mentioned it in the opportunities linked to the rise of new practices. I have these eSports Olympic Games in mind in 2027. For me, we must try to prioritize augmented sports, rather than pure video games, and we must ensure that eSports practice is done as much as possible in clubs, to avoid the isolation of young people and their sedentary lifestyle. France is emerging as a great eSports nation with great teams, great athletes, and this must be aligned with the project we are carrying out for French sport as a whole.
David Lappartient recently committed the CNOSF, through "Sport for Climate Actions," to implementing an ambitious decarbonization plan and reducing its emissions by 50% by 2030. Are you ready to make this commitment a reality?
I've always been very committed to these issues. I was the one who designed the national climate change adaptation plan before it was published more recently by the ministry. I spearheaded the energy efficiency plan for sport, with a 2022% reduction in sport's energy consumption by 2023-12. Everyone knows my commitment; sport must be exemplary in the ecological transition. It can promote responsible behavior, particularly through its connection to young people, which makes it an asset.
Sport must play its part, while balancing elements of ecological compliance, the preservation of sporting practice, and reducing administrative formalities as much as possible. I have seen many federations invested in the subjects of sports tourism and outdoor disciplines, aware that sport goes hand in hand with the environment. This is my key message: why do sport and the environment go so well together? It's because sport, in itself, is sustainable development. There is a common philosophy, the idea of doing good for society and the environment in which we live.
Many clubs face difficulties recruiting or retaining volunteers. How can this be addressed?
This remains the primary sector of engagement, but yes, there are signs of slowing down. We need to continue training women leaders, to be attractive to young people with a logic of valuing acquired experience, so that a young person who gets involved can add value to their CV. This is also why we need to strengthen rights, particularly regarding training, for volunteers who get involved. It is also extremely important for me to have a movement towards administrative simplification. What discourages volunteers today is when they have to do paperwork rather than being in the field in contact with others.
