Alongside the grand Europétanque tournament, a youth tournament was held this Sunday. The finalists in the minimes (10-12 years old) and cadets (13-15 years old) categories even had the honor of playing on the prestigious Acropolis square. In front of nearly 1,000 spectators, they showcased a remarkably high level.
They are between 10 and 12 years old or between 13 and 15 years old and represent the next generation. There were 19 triples at the start of the youth competition sponsored by Crédit Mutuel and the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes. From 10 a.m. at the Henri Bernard Boulodrome, near OGC Nice’s training center, numerous young players began their matches in a mini-championship format. The rule was simple: two victories were needed to reach the quarter-finals.
“This morning we won two matches and lost one. We dream of playing on the Acropolis honor square. For that, we need to be in the final,” explained the triple Matteo-Manuel-Mariano, departmental vice-champions, who are licensed at the XVème Corps of Nice. Unfortunately, their journey ended in the quarter-finals, and they did not make it to the finals’ venue.
Around twenty triples in the minimes and cadets categories were supervised by a referee, who was present in case of disputes. Michel Vassalo, the referee for the day, intervened on numerous occasions for minuscule measurements. “We also have an educational aspect; we teach them to measure and not to call on the referee for every point,” said the referee of the youth competition.
The minimes final saw the victory of the triple Moreno-Lucas-Mathieu in the late afternoon. On the cadets’ side, it was Fabien-Allan-Jacques who won the trophy. The winners and finalists received tablets and hi-fi equipment from Éric Ciotti, deputy and president of CG 06. Both finals took place in front of nearly a thousand spectators at the Acropolis and under the watchful eyes of Éric Bauthéac and Alexy Bosetti, players from OGC Nice.
