40 years already for the first badminton club in Hérault

Created September 6, 1985the Montpellier Badminton Club (MBC) was born out of a lack: in Hérault, there was no badminton club. Forty years laterhe aligns a team in regional 1, five in departmental, and aims for the pre-national. On the occasion of this symbolic anniversary, Kévin Goorochurnclub secretary, and Nicolas Bernardpresident, retrace four decades of flywheels, challenges and passion.

The club celebrates its 40th anniversary. What do you look at its evolution since 1985?

Kévin Goorochurn : The birth of the club is really significant. We start from nothing, with a creator who, at the time, just wanted to be able to practice badminton. The beginnings are made in a gymnasium with four players, then it climbs to more than 130 licensees in a few months. And that, without social networks, just with flyers in college and posters. Then, the club becomes the first affiliate of Hérault and logically attracts experienced players. We quickly get into the divisions, to the national 2, which remains our highest level reached. It was several decades ago, but it remained in the collective memory of the club.

What were the most emblematic sports moments?

Nicolas Bernard : In addition to the rise in National 2, there was the “Oc steering wheel”. It was a big competition, over two days, at the Veyrassi sports complex. We welcomed more than 500 players, sometimes very high level, from all over France. It was a meeting that counted in the national calendar. Over time, the event has lost its scale for various reasons. But we work to find this prestige. We relaunched the tournament under another name, The “MBC Tour”which is held in March or April. Last year, we had around fifty regional players and some nationals. Our goal is to spend three days and attract more high level again.

Where is the club today in terms of teams and performance?

Kévin Goorochurn : We have a team in regional 1 and five teams in departmental. The R1 brings together our best players. The D1 to D3 are made up of players of a fairly close level, which sometimes makes the distribution difficult. The D5 is for those who start in competition. We have a lot of players at the same level, so we organize bearings. This year, we have recruited and set as the objective of going up in pre-national. Last year was rather the maintenance. There, we feel that it is playable. We are a mixed club, with 35 to 40 % women. The proportion of competitors is slightly higher than leisure, around 70 % against 30 %. Réinscriptions mainly concern competitors. The new ones often come to play at leisure, but we try to motivate them to try competition.

What difficulties have you encountered over the years?

Nicolas Bernard : The covid was the biggest shock, by far. As everywhere, we saw our workforce falling suddenly, with a significant loss of licensees. We also lost certain time slots in gymnasiums, because the town hall had to reassign availability to other disciplines. Even if we quickly found our members – we often display full – the battle to recover schedules remains complicated. Each year, there are requests to obtain more, but the town hall must deal with an increasing number of sports associations and various needs.

What about equipment?

Kévin Goorochurn : Our main gymnasium, the Garrigues gymnasium, in La Paillade, begins to accuse its age. The installations are no longer perfect, and some small imperfections on the ground can disrupt the game at high level.

In terms of equipment, we made great efforts: last year, thanks to regional subsidies, we were able to buy new nets and posts. But there remains a black point, common to all clubs: the price of feathers. In four years, the 12 box has passed from 17 to 26 euros. However, in competition, a steering wheel may not last more than a set. When we multiply this by the number of games and training, the bill climbs very quickly.

Are there figures that have marked the club?

Nicolas Bernard : Yes, several. Timothée Roux is one of the names that come back often. He shone in handisport, with an excellent national classification, and in valid, he evolved in R5. And then there is Guillaume Lodiot, a former player of the world top 100 in double man. He was dismissed in Montpellier for many years and also contributed a lot as a coach. He had stopped playing for the MBC two or three years ago, especially during the Cavid period, but this season, he returned to the field with us.

Is the training a strong axis of the club?

Kévin Goorochurn : Yes, it is even one of our pillars. We have two young slots per week, and they are full to 30 players each. In one year, we went from 44 to 60 young people, which proves the craze. We welcome trainees who come to co-order the sessions, which makes it possible to offer more personalized follow-up. Last year, we accompanied one of our members to pass a CQP (professional qualification certificate). This year, it is a volunteer coach who will take a diploma training. We invest a lot in the training of our volunteers, because it is they who ensure the quality and continuity of the supervision.

You also spotted a young talent.

Nicolas Bernard : Yes, and it is impressive. He is only nine years old, but he already has a level that far exceeds his category. On the recommendation of our coaches, we have integrated it into certain adult training sessions to make it progress faster. This year, he qualified for the national chick brewing in Montluçon, an event that brings together the best young people in France. It is a prestigious meeting, and it was up to it. We follow him very closely, with strong support from his family.

Does badminton benefit from the media recognition it deserves?

Nicolas Bernard : Honestly, no, and it is a feeling shared by many enthusiasts. To see matches, you often have to go through specialized platforms, which means that only initiates have access to it. The general public does not fall on it by chance, unlike tennis, football or even table tennis which, recently, has won in exhibition. However, there are encouraging signs. This year, for the first time in history, two French players have entered the world top 10, including Alex Lanier, seventh. From August 25 to 31the world championships will take place in Paris, which should give a little more visibility. But it remains punctual. We realize that it is often the clubs and the licensees themselves to promote the badminton. It is a field work, literally and figuratively.

The paddle is booming. Is it competition or an opportunity?

Kévin Goorochurn : For us, it is clearly an opportunity and not a threat. Paddle is a sport in its own right, but it has the advantage of being very accessible, even for beginner players. Thanks to the rebound of the ball, the walls and the reduced size of the terrain, you can have fun, even with a large difference of level between the partners. This is why he seduces as much: we see former tennis, badminton players, but also footballers getting into it. Myself, I did a little with my colleagues. What is interesting is that it diversifies the practice of racket sports. Some discover the paddle, then want to test the badminton, or vice versa. We are not at all in a logic where one takes the place of the other.

What place does the MBC occupy in the Montpellier sports landscape?

Nicolas Bernard : Montpellier is a very sporty city, with clubs that shine at national and international level in many disciplines: handball, volleyball, basketball, rugby … In this context, we are not yet at the level of visibility of these large structures, in particular because we do not yet have a national team. As soon as we cross this CAP, we can claim more public and institutional recognition. But we found our place: we are identified as a dynamic, trainer and competitive club, with a real sports project.

How are you going to mark the 40th anniversary of the club?

Kévin Goorochurn : We wanted a moment that lived in the history of the club, but also faithful to our mind: conviviality, sharing and team spirit. So we organize an evening in Novemberoutside the field. We will rent a room and invite all our members, old and current. It will not be a competition, but a moment to meet, tell anecdotes, remember the great moments …

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