Paris – The French Badminton Federation (FFBaD) has finalized the composition of its High Council with the appointment of Léa Cauquais and Valérie Contoz, filling two previously vacant positions. The appointments, made by lottery on March 30, 2026, bring the council to its full complement of six members.
The High Council, established in May 2025, serves as a critical body for evaluating the alignment between the FFBaD’s objectives and the resources allocated to achieve them. It’s a key component of the federation’s governance structure, tasked with providing both reflection and recommendations on strategic direction. The council also reviews the annual report presented by the executive committee and prepares its own annual evaluation report for the FFBaD’s general assembly, which is then made public.
For months, two seats on the High Council remained unfilled, specifically those designated for women. The FFBaD addressed this by opening calls for candidates from former league and committee members with at least three years of experience – with a mandate extending through April 2027 – and current club members, with a mandate running through April 2029. Eligibility for the club representative positions was limited to those holding or having held roles as presidents, general secretaries and assistant secretaries, treasurers and assistant treasurers, or vice presidents.
The response to the call for nominations was encouraging, with 10 viable applications received for the current club member positions and one for the former league and committee member position. To ensure impartiality, the selection process was conducted via a lottery, overseen by the commission for the supervision of electoral operations.
The lottery results confirmed Léa Cauquais as the representative for current club members and Valérie Contoz as the representative for former league and committee members. This completes the High Council’s membership, which also includes Gary Marnay, Thibaud Olivier, Magali Godin, and Pierre Chatellier.
The High Council is scheduled to meet at least once each quarter. Notably, the council, led by president Magali Godin, will present its annual evaluation report to the general assembly on April 18, 2026. This report will offer a comprehensive assessment of the FFBaD’s performance and strategic direction.
The appointments of Cauquais and Contoz are expected to bring valuable perspectives to the High Council, strengthening its ability to provide informed guidance to the FFBaD. The federation emphasizes the importance of diverse representation within its governing bodies, and these appointments represent a step towards achieving that goal.
The FFBaD’s commitment to transparency and accountability is evident in the public release of the High Council’s composition and the planned publication of its annual evaluation report. This approach aims to foster trust and engagement among its members and stakeholders.
Badminton continues to grow in popularity in France, and the High Council’s role in ensuring the FFBaD’s effective governance will be crucial to sustaining that momentum. The federation is focused on developing the sport at all levels, from grassroots participation to elite competition, and the High Council will play a key role in shaping that future.
The next scheduled event for the FFBaD is the presentation of the High Council’s annual evaluation report at the general assembly on April 18, 2026. Further updates and information can be found on the FFBaD’s official website: https://www.ffbad.org/.
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