Sitting in a wheelchair, Isabelle Rome, the Minister Delegate in charge of equality between women and men, diversity and equal opportunities, tries a first shoot. The ball only touches the basket. The Minister does not get rid of her smile and tries her luck again with success. On the Place de la Bastille, the final of the Golden Blocks is in full swing. “We brought the stadium back to the foot of the Bastille”, shouts the DJ at the microphone. The 200 kids are screaming. The Golden Blocks – named after this association created 8 years ago by world champion in the 110m hurdles Ladji Doucouré and Matthieu Lahaye to introduce young people to the sport of neighborhoods – is not just about athletics. Like Minister Isabelle Rome, the kids try out wheelchair basketball or skateboarding. On the asphalt track, sprint battles are organized.
The young people, who qualified during the stages organized throughout France, compete in the 50m. Each winner continues the adventure, until only one remains. At the end of the day, for each winner in his category, 300 euros to contribute to tuition fees, a license in an athletics club (offered by the Golden Blocks) and complete sports equipment, provided by Nike. “It’s openness, inclusion, in the heart of the city. We need this kind of associations, which allow kids to share the values of sport, that’s sport! enthuses Amélie Oudéa Castéra, the Minister for Sports, the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“I want to say to all these young people, you can all become Ladji and Matthieu”, continues the Minister Delegate, Isabelle Rome, in reference to Ladji Doucouré and Matthieu Lahaye, who grew up in neighborhoods of Essonne. . At 14, Thais discovers Paris for the first time thanks to the Golden Blocks. She qualified for the final during the stage organized in Nice.
When they travel to neighborhoods, Ladji Doucouré and Matthieu Lahaye rely on local associations. In Nice, it was on “Share your talent”, which gives young people from the Moulins district access to sport and culture. This Saturday, its president Abdel-Hakim made the round trip to the capital with 6 young people. “This day brings together generations, populations around sport”, rejoices Mounia. The young woman, AVS in a college, had taken her students to the stage of Villejuif (Val-de-Marne). This time, she came with her 10-year-old son, qualified for dance battles.
Isabelle Rome, who had already come to Grigny (Essonne) last August, wants to go even further. “I have this idea of taking advantage of these gatherings to talk with young people about issues of social diversity,” she explains. Two years before the Olympic Games in Paris, and when it comes to heritage, the association is getting more and more talked about. “These days are in the DNA of what we want to do”, points out Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor in charge of sports in Paris, the city which hosts the final each year.
In the arrival hall, Ladji Doucouré welcomes each child. At the microphone, the DJ repeats to each of the participants to greet each other. “It’s very important to remember the values,” said Mounia. Despite the rain, the party is in full swing in the heart of a tourist district. Bib on the belly, with the name of their city inscribed on it, the young people surpass themselves. Tears sometimes flow, screams accompany each duel and eyes shine. Twenty thousand kids have already gone through the Golden Blocks. Some, like Mallory Leconte, are now part of the French athletics team, others have become volunteers with the association. “We give them attention, and we help them get by,” smiles Ladji Doucouré.
