In Chartres, the ex-champions David Douillet and David Inquel give 50,000 euros to the young chess prodigy

2023-06-05 14:21:55

Harvey, they are former high-level athletes who have one objective: that of providing suitable accommodation, especially for young people, through “colonies”. These types of housing are quite common in Asia and America. One of these shared housing spaces will soon come out of the ground on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Jean, in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir).

Harvey Solidarity acts through an endowment fund (sponsorship organization, intended to collect donations to help other non-profit organizations) committed to supporting young athletes alongside their studies. The Olympic judo champion and former Minister of Sports, David Douillet, was thus present in the Eurelian capital this Tuesday, May 23 to present a check for 50,000 euros to the young international chess grandmaster, Marc Andria Maurizzi, who has just celebrated his 16 years, licensed in Chartres.

With David Inquel, the vice-president of the French Judo Federation and one of the three other creators of Harvey, also a high-level ex-judoka, the two athletes fly to the aid of young champions all over France. “It’s a continuity. Sport has built my life and edified me”, testifies David Douillet. It was therefore natural for the Olympic judo champion, on the advice of the mayor of Chartres Jean-Pierre Gorges, to come to the aid of the young international grandmaster, Marc Andria Maurizzi, thanks to his endowment fund, Harvey Solidarity.

“We would have liked such a boost”

“My friend Jean-Pierre Gorges, passionate about chess, allowed us to go to the end of our approach which is to help young athletes, young enthusiasts. It’s our DNA that forces us to do this. We would have liked, being younger, to have this boost, ”explains the Olympic medalist. A check for 50,000 euros, ringing and stumbling, is not nothing. But lessons with a world champion like Marc Andria Maurizzi is likely to take to go even further and higher, it can cost a lot of money, 10,000 euros for a week, we whisper, and travel also, during competitions.

“We are there to help them, to get them through this life of an athlete or an artist, where there is always a kind of black post, when we have not yet become very good. But that’s where we need the most support and that’s where we earn the least money, ”continues the judoka. A 1.96 meter tall godfather who impresses the teenager of Corsica origin. ” I am very happy. After chess and football, I love combat sports, he says with a beautiful accent from the island of beauty. An Olympic medalist who helps me, it’s nice. »

At 11, he faced Garry Kasparov

Marc Andria Maurizzi is certainly impressed, but he has something to be impressive too. “I started at 7 years old. When I was 11, during the Grand Chess Tour in Paris, I played with Garry Kasparov. The personality who was to play with him was not there, I was asked to replace him, ”says the prodigy, champion of Corsica, France and Europe and who finished fifth in the world championships. As a reminder, at 14, he became the youngest international grandmaster in France.

The mayor, Jean-Pierre Gorges, passionate about chess, is proud of this boost given to the licensee of C’Chartres Échecs. “He’s still a bit cocooned, even though he’s just come out of the incubator. Now we have to help him grow. “After the Women’s Top 12 last weekend, next competition: the Top 16 next week, from June 1 to 11, 2023. “We will give him the opportunity to play in team 1. There will be great names”, assures the first magistrate.

IN ADDITION Other athletes helped by the Harvey Solidarity Foundation: Luka Mkheidze, French judoka, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics (- 60 kg). Cyrille Maret, judoka bronze medalist at the Rio Olympics (- 100 kg) or Axel Clerget, judoka team gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics.