It’s Jean-François Knecht’s turn, a city and regional councilor, to share his thoughts on Nice’s sporting life and sports in Nice. As an educational consultant in physical education, he is speaking on a subject that he is well-versed in through his profession, offering his desires, doubts, and aspirations to us.
Major events, mass or elite sport, Grand Stade de Nice… All the local sports news under the watchful eye of JFK, who might even create some surprise as potentially one of the 2008 “municipal” candidates.
Time to start a new review of sports in Nice!
Nice Première: What is your analysis of Nice’s sports scene?
Jean-François Knecht: We can only note an overall negative balance, whether it’s large elite sports events, amateur sports, or even mass sports.
MAJOR EVENTS
Over the years, numerous major events have completely disappeared from the athletics meeting NIKAIA to the Tennis Open, to name just a couple.
Today, only events with mainly commercial or advertising purposes like the Iron Man, the prologue of the Tunisia rally, or the super motocross remain.
Moreover, these events are no longer organized by leagues or sports federations but by purely commercial companies that require very costly participation or subsidies from the City.
Additionally, sometimes more funding is sought from other entities to richly remunerate one, two, or three employees year-round for organizing a single event per year!
ELITE SPORT
“You can’t embrace everything without consequence.” Choices must be made on 3 or 4 disciplines maximum so that these teams can truly serve as beacons and credible ambassadors of our city’s sports.
We need to provide club presidents of elite sports with the means that match their ambitions, especially with infrastructure worthy of the fifth-largest city in France.
AMATEUR SPORT
A great misery and enormous dedication from the leaders in general.
There are glaring lacks in terms of facilities, time slots, means, and sometimes even sports equipment or simple jerseys.
The extreme centralization of facilities in the Var plain won’t meet the expectations of Nice athletes who primarily desire local facilities.
An undignified treatment: In 2005, nearly 20% of clubs saw their subsidies decreased compared to 2004!!!
MASS SPORT
There are too few mass sport events, particularly for school or after-school sports.
There are significant gaps in creating local facilities like micro sites or skate parks.
NP: Do you have ideas for improving the management of municipal sports?
– Creation of a Municipal Sports Office
– Eliminate 70% of school bus trips (schools, middle and high schools) to sports facilities in the next term and 100% in 10 years (excluding swimming pools)
– Rebuilding the partnership with the National Education
– Qualitative improvements (choice and diversity of activities offered)
– Quantitative improvement (There are currently 31 sports educators who work in the elementary schools of Nice; there should be at least twice as many to reach a comparable level with what is done in neighboring municipalities)
– Construction and rehabilitation of local sports facilities in all neighborhoods (micro-sites, skate parks, urban parks)
– Construction of structural facilities in all neighborhoods
– At least two swimming pools, a dojo, a velodrome, a fencing hall, a dance hall, at least two large gymnasiums dedicated to handball and basketball.
– Opening of existing facilities on weekends and during school vacations, notably those in schools and high schools, requiring obviously the recruitment of educators to supervise these activities.
NP: What would you name the grand football stadium in the Var plain?
JFK: “THE STADIUM OF WASTEFULNESS AND FUTILITY.”
The repayments and participations planned in this project will burden, both in terms of investment and operation, all amateur sports and mass sports for nearly 30 years!
I have always favored the renovation of the Ray Stadium. Its history and the memories it gathers undeniably make it the stadium where OGC Nice should play. I regret that a “scheme” prevented this project from happening.
Finally, if this grand stadium in the plain must be built, I have only one wish: that the decision-makers follow the desires of the supporters, at least concerning the stadium’s name, by calling it “ESTADI GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI.”
