The controversy regarding the Hall of Discord was quickly extinguished. At the end of March, the anger of Evan Fournier, then of certain executives of the Blues, against the idea of playing the group stages of the next Olympic Games in Hall 6 of the Parc des Expositions had been followed by the announcement of a change of place, the technical constraints (in particular with regard to the luminosity) being too problematic.
Except that three months later, if plan A has been abandoned, plan B is still not found. This is what emerges from the latest meetings organized between FIFA and the COJO (Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games).
The two instants cannot agree on a place to play this first round. On the one hand, the OCOG proposed to play it at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium (soon to be the Decathlon Arena) in Lille. On the other hand, FIBA does not want this possibility and insists on keeping the event in Paris.
“We would like to express our concern about the Paris Games basketball tournament”, launched Andreas Zagklis, the general secretary of FIBA. “Basketball has shown great flexibility to help the city. No one else has seen their sport change location three times. We must now find a fourth solution with only two years ahead of us. It is felt that our athletes should not be subject to the conditions currently on the table. The tournament must be held in Paris, near the Olympic Village with one hour’s transport, not three, and the sites must provide the necessary security conditions, as well as air conditioning and also allow athletes to recover from matches and take meals on time. »
If Andreas Zagklis talks about three-hour journeys, it is because the idea would be to house the basketball players in the Olympic village of Saint-Denis, and to have them take the bus to Lille on match days.
Conditions that could scare away the stars?
Tony Estanguet therefore understands the requests, but he cannot satisfy them at the moment.
“Everyone would like to play in the center of Paris, in the best arena, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower”said the president of Paris 2024, can we read in the columns of L’Équipe. “I respect your concerns. I can guarantee you that basketball is important and popular in France. But we have to adapt, to maintain the ambition, in accordance with our budgetary limits. »
Who will end up winning the case? To tip the balance on their side, Andreas Zagklis and FIBA do not hesitate to threaten the absence of the best players in the world for the competition.
“Obviously we want to help and increase ticketing revenue, but as in all previous Olympic Games, certain basic conditions for our players must be met. Because the experience of the players is itself at the heart of the Games. We believe that our concerns are fair and that we can work together to reduce the players’ serious concerns about their participation in the Paris Olympics. »
