2023-05-07 09:43:41
The big Eight. The formula sums up both the emotions experienced this Saturday by the supporters of Chambly (Oise) and the hegemony of their badminton team crowned champion of France for the eighth consecutive time. Record domination (Editor’s note: Racing Club de France won the title seven times in a row in the 1980s) confirmed by a 5-2 victory against Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) at the sports hall of Elancourt (Yvelines).
The story at the top therefore continues for the badistes of this Picardy town of 10,000 inhabitants, on the border of Île-de-France, who arrived in the elite only 15 years ago. Not without difficulty, like a season where the BCCO (Badminton club Chambly Oise), regularly deprived of its star players on the international circuit, struggled for a long time during the group stage with a view to winning a ticket for the final. “At mid-season, we were not among the qualifying places”, recalls its president Patrice Lannoy, moved a few minutes from lifting the silver cup, a habit now.
Undefeated since 2014
“I feel a lot of pride. The season was long and indecisive until the last moment. The players gave their all, the goal remains the same, we play to win, ”adds the man who built this team in the late 2000s, won the title in 2014 and has never given it up since (two white seasons in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid).
An edition also raised by “opposing teams which are strengthening and which are very competitive”, according to Thomas Rouxel. “Nothing is certain”, notes the Camblysian captain defeated as a single man by his Ditchen counterpart and great contender for qualification for Paris 2024, Toma Junior Popov (30th in the world) this Saturday. “With this title, we enter a little more into the history of French badminton. »
“We’ll be back”
On the field, three games of the final (a game is played in the best of eight games, a “mixed gold” is played in the event of a tie) required a third set. The men’s doubles in particular, where, trailing by a set, the bronze medalist at the Rio Games (Brazil, 2016) Marcus Ellis and his young partner Éloi Adam overturned the match, pushed by the cries of the bus of Chambly supporters in disguise of sequined hats, before inscribing the steering wheel of the title. “Each time, we are the favorites, it causes a certain pressure. I like being on the winning team,” rejoices the Briton.
“The final is not played out much, Chambly was more solid, more serene”, underlines Toma Popov, captain, coach of Fos-sur-Mer and father of the two tricolor prodigies Toma Junior and Christo. The only two winners of the Provençal team, each in singles, in this rhythmic final to the sound of fog horns. “Not too disappointing, no,” puts the coach into perspective. Because all season we have won important matches. The club will take the taste of the final stages, we will come back. Indeed, the BCF (Badminton Club de Fos) only has one final, won, to its name, during the 2007-2008 season.
Paris 2024 could disrupt next season
Does the future look just as bright for Chambly? The teams in the interclub championship are expecting many absences from their squads, due to the race for points which has just begun in view of the Paris 2024 Games. Starting with the BCCO. “I hope to be able to play as many games as possible, says Marcus Ellis, but I will be very busy. The same situation for the Canadian from Chambly Michelle Li (15th in the world) and the brothers from Fos (30th and 38th in the world), both in the running for a single Olympic place.
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