Even if it does not compete, the Decazeville badminton club is enjoying great momentum and is innovative in its practices.
The Decazeville badminton club is one of the city’s little-known associations. Badminton, a racket and shuttlecock game, appeared in France at the end of the 19th century, on the coastal coast from Dunkirk to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, passing through the seaside resorts frequented by the British aristocracy who brought this game with them in their luggage. Then this sport, often seen as a leisure activity, will become popular and take off.
In Decazeville, a club was created 25 years ago, on the initiative of Ms. Marty, then a sports teacher at La Découverte high school. Initially based at the Decazevillois high school gymnasium, it was subsequently transferred to the Baldy gymnasium (next to Ramadier college). The club was managed, like several other workshops, by the cultural and leisure association À ciel Ouvert, until 2024.
During this long period, badminton had an average of 20 members, sometimes more.
Following the dissolution of À Ciel Ouvert, the members of the club wanted to continue their activity and founded a new association fully dedicated to badminton.
Bearing the name Bad’Ass, it was registered in the official journal in July 2024, with Houari Mohamed-Benkada as president, Clément Barbet as treasury and Damien Artous as secretariat.
The club is geared towards leisure activities in good humor and conviviality.
“We are not planning to compete, at least in the short term”informs the president. However, from the first year, Bad’Ass saw its numbers double, notably with the arrival of many young people, from the age of 14, who benefit from a reduced rate.
A blackminton evening
This 2025-2026 season, driven among other things by the success of the sports day organized by the municipality, the club has reached its capacity limits with 50 registered members; which demonstrates real success.
The office regularly offers events such as interclub meetings, particularly with those of Livinhac and Maurs, which strengthen ties and create new friendly relationships.
At the end of 2025, the club innovated by offering a blackminton evening.
Who is it ? “The principle consists of playing in the dark equipped with fluorescent outfits and black light spots. Slightly destabilized in the first moments, the players very quickly found their feet. They are all eager for the operation to be repeated”reports not without a certain pride the Bad-Ass management team.
