The visit of Tony Estanguet, boss of the organizing committee (Cojo), this Thursday in the North could have officially launched the Olympic Games in Lille. Paris 2024 also hoped to take the opportunity to definitively seal the agreement between the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) and the Cojo on the organization of the preliminary round of the basketball tournaments at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium. Nothing will happen.
According to our information, the meeting held on Tuesday between the parties did not result in an agreement. Experts from Fiba and Paris 2024 still disagree on the results of studies concerning the installation of air conditioning in the Lille enclosure, essential to avoid condensation on the parquet and the risk of slipping and injury to players. The studies provided by Paris 2024 do not take into account the fact that the stadium is not hermetically sealed, which would modify certain data and therefore not reassure the international federation.
Meanwhile, the issue of team accommodation pending
Just over 500 days before the start of the Olympic Games, Fiba has still not signed an agreement with the organizing committee and remains on “an agreement in principle subject to conditions”. In a press release published in early December 2022, Fiba recalled that it was awaiting confirmation that its “requirements will be met, in particular those relating to the health and safety of players”. Two months later, the situation has hardly changed.
Thursday, Andreas Zagklis, the secretary general of Fiba, will be present in Lille, with Tony Estanguet, elected officials of the city and the department of the North. A trip that will take more the form of a site visit than a launch of the festivities. A press point is planned, but no announcement should take place, except that of a continuation of the discussions. Time is running out, however, as other topics such as team travel and accommodation will then need to be addressed.
Initially scheduled at Arena Bercy, the basketball tournament was split into two: the final phase at Bercy, the preliminary phase at Hall 6 at Porte de Versailles. A site that had created a lively controversy before being rejected, in particular because of the low ceiling height. Already, Fiba was asking for expertise and, for lack of satisfactory answers, had forced Paris 2024 to modify its plans. The Cojo had then chosen to install a part of basketball in Lille, which had resulted in moving the preliminary phases of handball to Paris. Skeptical from the start about the solution found by Paris 2024, Fiba has still not been convinced.