Eric Tanguy, a native of Nice by adoption, was elected last Saturday as the president of the French Volleyball Federation.
The occasion provided him the opportunity to discuss the areas of work he plans to focus on in the coming year.
For your first weekend as president, you were in Tours and Paris for the two France-Brazil matches, how did you experience these events?
It was a true joy to attend these two matches, which resulted in two magnificent performances in two beautiful venues filled with an enthusiastic crowd. The icing on the cake was winning on Sunday in Paris in a packed Coubertin arena, which I hadn’t seen so full in a long time. This French team generates a lot of enthusiasm, indicating that when we have good results, volleyball attracts people beyond just the fans of the sport. The French love winning athletes. Moreover, there was Brazil, the Olympic silver medalist and World Championship runner-up, a legendary team.
Is the French team a priority for your work in the coming months?
Yes, of course, I would even say the French teams, as I also consider the beach volleyball teams, which are projecting a very positive image currently. We will naturally pay close attention to these teams, which are competing for qualification for the Olympic Games. After the victory in the World League, we intend to continue with the current momentum, supporting Laurent Tillie’s team to the best of our ability to ensure it performs well at the European Championship in October, then in preparation for the Olympic Games qualification and through to the Olympics, the goal set by the coach, which I fully support. We intend to help achieve this goal of winning an Olympic medal.
How do you see the recent evolution of French beach volleyball?
We are on a very positive trajectory as our men’s and women’s teams qualified this weekend for the final phase of the Continental Cup, which also leads to the Olympics. This summer, we were crowned U18 European champions with Timothรฉe Platre and Rรฉmi Bassereau, and we won European medals in U20 and U22 categories… France is a country with nearly 3,500 kilometers of coasts and beaches, beach volleyball is a historic sport here, an institution.
Beyond the elite, what will be your main areas of focus?
The main pillar of our candidacy was the unification of the volleyball family, as I am merely the carrier of a project that brought together several club, committee, and league leaders. This is essential today, and we will put all our energy into ensuring that the divisions hindering our sport are resolved as quickly as possible. To achieve this, we plan to establish dialogue by going into the field to listen to people. It’s very important to respect all participants and leaders in our sport, from the president of the most powerful professional clubs to the simple volunteers, like the one I greeted on Sunday, who helped roll up the Gerflor flooring after the end of the Blues’ match. All these volunteers are the backbone of our sport. Unity begins with listening, but it also involves the need to share decisions. I believe that discussions involving many can yield solutions that will advance our sport, which is truly the essence of our commitment.
What policy do you plan to implement regarding amateur clubs?
Another priority area of our work is development: we need to get the volleyball machine running again so that our sport attracts new members, especially young ones. We have the advantage of being in the spotlight thanks to our national teams, and we must use this to ensure that in the leagues and departmental committees, our clubs are supported to welcome new members and innovate in sports programs. We also plan to develop services for clubs. Clubs should find new services within the Federation to make their management easier, allowing them to focus more on their missions of recruiting new members and developing competitions. We need volleyball to be present on the ground.
Is finding partners also part of your objectives?
Of course. And the exposure our national team currently provides can only help us attract new partners. I had the opportunity to meet representatives from companies this weekend with whom we are making contact, and I can tell you they really appreciated the show. Volleyball, as we showcased this weekend, appeals to people. Now, we need to involve them in our story, sharing our values with them.
