BOCC Badminton Gains Top Recruits But Loses Training Slots in Concarneau

« Cette saison, nous avons eu des propositions de créneaux et de salles qui ne nous arrangent pas », deplores Philippe Le Cam, president of the Bocc, highlighting a severe venue squeeze in the Breton port city.

The Bocc is grappling with a severe facility shortage following the recent demolition of the Saint-Joseph high school gymnasium, according to local reporting. The loss of six training slots has left the organization scrambling for space, even as competitive rosters expand ahead of the new season.

Gymnasium Demolition Shrinks Training Availability

Club leadership reports that training schedules have taken a direct hit from local infrastructure changes. The destruction of the gymnasium at Lycée Saint-Joseph wiped out six dedicated slots. While alternative scheduling and venues were offered, club president Philippe Le Cam states that these proposals fail to meet the operational needs of the seven club teams.

« Sans compter qu’avec la destruction récente du gymnase du lycée Saint-Joseph, nous avons perdu six créneaux d’entraînement qui ne sont compensés qu’en partie », Le Cam noted regarding the shortfall. The president adds that the organization is literally overflowing with participants despite the logistical setbacks.

New Recruits Bolster Competitive Squads

The facility crunch contrasts sharply with a surge in player registration. Senior divisions have absorbed roughly a dozen new transfer players who will soon feature across the club’s seven active squads.

Among the high-profile arrivals is Damien Peres, a National 2 player and the reigning Finistère champion who previously represented Les Manchots de la Rade in Brest. « À Concarneau, il va retrouver sa compagne », Le Cam remarked of the acquisition.

Joining Peres is veteran player Amandine Burgaud. Competing at the Regional 4 level, Burgaud arrives as a reigning Breton champion in mixed doubles. Alongside elite competitors, the club has registered a broad influx of recreational players.

Planned Upgrades at Cosec des Sables-Blancs

The strain on athletic infrastructure extends beyond badminton, with local sporting organizations competing heavily for available floor space in Concarneau. Relief remains on the horizon, though facility upgrades carry a distant timeline.

Club leadership awaits planned flooring improvements at the concrete gymnasium inside the Cosec des Sables-Blancs facility. Project timelines indicate that installation of a safer, sport-appropriate parquet or linoleum surface is scheduled for the summer of 2027.