During the press conference, Rama Yade first highlighted Christian Estrosi’s commitment to sports in his city, stating, “Nice is the most dynamic city in France in terms of sports. Surely because it has an ambitious policy for major sporting events.”
This day also marked the signing of a letter of intent by elected officials for the city of Nice’s hosting of the Seventh Francophonie Games, which will be held from September 6 to 15, 2013.
Rama Yade also reiterated her commitment to the media coverage of all sports, saying, “We need to publicize a bit more the other sports that are dynamic but receive little media attention. It’s not just about football; we need to promote sports that actually win.” Laughter erupted in the room at these last words. The Secretary of State for Sports also laughed, realizing her slip of the tongue.
In the hall, there were many visitors strolling from booth to booth, discovering Nice’s associations according to their interests.
At the sports-dedicated booths, most representatives glimpsed Rama Yade, Christian Estrosi, and Eric Ciotti during their quick visit right after the conference, but they remain skeptical. “I’m not sure it will change anything; it’s mainly a marketing ploy in my opinion,” someone at the Nice city center dance club booth confided. Fabienne from the Nice Institute of Sports appreciated Rama Yade’s visit, “It’s good for sports, that’s true, but she could have stopped to greet us anyway.”
Around a booth corner, Patrick Allemand (PS) appeared and shared his impression, “It’s important, I think, to be present to listen to the associations, assess the difficulties they face, and offer them our encouragement. This fair is somewhat a reflection of society’s sectors, there are those who are doing well and those who are not.”
