From January 20 to 22, Nîmes will host the 25th edition of the international indoor archery tournament. Interview with Gabrielle Berdaguer, vice-president of the Arc Club of Nîmes which organizes the event.
Do you remember your first international event?
Not really. But the first one that really impressed me was in 2004 for the world championships. In the arenas. It’s bound to be impressive, and are there world archery stars who meet there?
What has changed since that time?
I am much more involved, I have almost always been a volunteer. But now I can take a little more initiative. I am mainly affiliated with the registry, but in fact I am multitasking, I go where I am needed, help set up a tent, run the bar… But welcoming people is what I prefer, to see these people who come from all over the world, to jabber a few words of English or Spanish, that’s something.
How do you reconcile that with your job as a midwife?
At the CHU, I do two 12-hour shifts per week, so I have a lot of free time on the side, I come to the club at least three times a week and I sometimes stay there all day. For the tournament, I took a week off.
How does it feel to see Nîmes become the world capital of archery?
It allows Nîmes to be known to a whole bunch of people in the world, all from the community, but who all know how to place the city on a map today. Apart from Las Vegas and Nimes, there are only a few other cities approaching this status in the world.
This year will mark the return of the public after the health restrictions, does that require additional organization?
On the contrary ! We can’t wait to meet the public! During covid there was quite a protocol, everyone had to be tested and a curfew. In any case, we will have at least as many archers, and I hope as many audiences as before the covid. In any case, what has exploded in recent years is the number of views on the web for the discipline and the Nîmes stage.
What is most important to you in this sport?
Team work. Sharing and exchange. It is also a sport that helps to gain self-control, concentration, stress management. There is a need for precision, of course. And I also prefer outdoor practice to indoor practice: you have to manage the elements, whether it’s snowing or windy, which of course adds difficulty.
Is there also a social and political dimension to this sport?
Archery in Nîmes means bringing shooting to schools in all the surrounding areas. It is also a disabled sports team and patients from the CHU who come to the club once a week. And then with the economic fallout, that of course helps the city, and the hotels which are usually empty at this time.
In 2015, these benefits would have been 1.5 million euros. Not bad ?
Given the lack of media coverage of this discipline, I think it’s not bad, indeed.
Bio Express
Born in 1992, Gabrielle Berdaguer started archery at the age of 6. She will reach the top 8 in the first national division in her category in less than 21 years, before joining the office of the association at the age of only 24 as vice-president and giving even more space to volunteering. . Now 30 years old, she actively participates in the organization of the Indoor World Series and occupies the 89th position in the national ranking of her category.
