On July 23, 24, and 25, 2005, the fourth edition of the Europétanque d’azur took place in Nice. This competition, open to everyone, provided an opportunity for all enthusiasts to see the world’s best triplets in action in a friendly and cheerful atmosphere.
Jean-Claude Muscat, 56, founder of the Europétanque d’azur and president of the Alpes-Maritimes departmental committee of Pétanque and Jeu Provençal, reflects on the organization of one of the most prestigious pétanque competitions in Europe and shares his projects concerning this popular sport.
Nicolas Pelazza: The city of Nice is currently under construction. Did the tramway works cause any problems for organizing the event?
Jean-Claude Muscat: This year, the construction work in the city of Nice posed only a minor problem at the top of the Albert 1st garden, currently occupied by a storage depot, where we usually set up ten courts. We compensated for this shortage by setting up additional courts along the two main pathways of the Garden.
The competition was primarily centered around the Promenade, the garden, and of course the Masséna Forum. This last location is where the soul of this event resides each year. If we are ever unable to use this site, we would jeopardize the survival of this event, as no alternative solution has been found yet.
NP: Were there any changes or new features compared to the 2004 edition?
JCM: There hasn’t really been any novelty in terms of competition arrangement and implementation. We always stick to a system that satisfies everyone. We simply changed the days. The first three editions took place on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday for the Masters stage. This year we held it on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Friday for the Masters. We wanted to accommodate the needs of many people who are particularly available on Saturday and Sunday due to work commitments.
We also had six hours of live television coverage on T.M.C. It is the most-watched program of the summer on this channel, with the highest ratings right after the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. There were nearly one and a half million viewers. This is exactly what we wanted.
NP: As the president of the departmental committee, what are your plans and objectives for the coming year?
JCM: Our team strives to distinguish in people’s minds between high-level competition and the sport for everyone. From the start of the season, we have launched club championships (for men, women, traditional Provençal game, corporate), to pave the way for national competitions in the coming years. Nice has led the way in high-level competition by winning the French Club Cup and the European Cup two years in a row.
We are also working on making the sport accessible to everyone. We are preparing a simplified contest organization formula so that everyone can find it easy to participate. There are, of course, other projects, such as organizing national championships and providing support for new local competitions. But most importantly, we want to preserve the conviviality that our game has maintained in our venues, with a practice for everyone that has been festive for over a century.
NP: Pétanque as an Olympic sport, does that seem feasible to you?
JCM: With the defeat of the Paris bid for the 2012 Games, a hope has vanished because the host country can propose new disciplines to the Olympic Committee. But let us not forget that 60 countries practice this sport, which has become high-level since a decree in April 2003.
Find more information on the Europétanque on the event’s website: www.europetanquedazur.com
Nicolas Pelazza