Saint-Just Saint-Rambert. POLUS: Pontrambertois head-to-head back in September

“In 2023 we will reorganize Pontrambert head-on,” declared Antoine Combe, President of the Entente sportive bouliste pontrambertoise (ESBP).

Discontinued for about five years, due to calendar complications, this gathering of bowlers will see the light of day again in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert. “A date has been found, the first Saturday in September. It will be organized by the Cercle pontois, under the auspices of the ESBP. Every year, the Tête-à-tête competition will take place alternately in each company,” he explains.

Four companies combined

The Paulist Union includes four companies affiliated with the municipality. “We have three subsidiaries of the French Federation of Sports Paul, Paul de Parc, Cercle Pontois and ULRR (Paul de la Chana), as well as a subsidiary of the French Federation of Sports and Culture, La Fraternelle,” enumerates the president.

If the health crisis has forced sports and pétanque fans to reduce their appointments, it has not, however, tainted the enthusiasm of the members. “ESBP’s bowling communities are doing well. After Covid-19, they all left well,” notes Antoine Coombe.

Over the course of the 2021-2022 season, ESBP has organized nine competitions, five meetings of the National 1 clubs and four pétanque competitions, including one for Women’s Day organized by the Petanque Committee in Saint-Etienne.

This season, several dates have already been set. “On April 15, we will have a face-to-face qualifier organized by ULRR. On April 22, it will be a meeting from 3^H and 4^H Organized by ESBP. On May 6, the doubles matches were organized by ESBP and ULRR, explains Antoine Combe. He announced, in the process, what was new to the calendar: “We’re planning a double competition one or two Fridays a month.”

The youth school receives 14 pétanque fans

Entente bouliste, which operates the Unchats bowling alley, also continues its partnerships. Amateur groups make use of the municipal infrastructure for learning or training. The group of retirees named La 7^H Company, meets on Thursday afternoons. And 14 athletes from 8 to 12 years old practice discipline regularly thanks to the Youth School.

“We also have a partnership with a retirement home in the Loire (MRL), which comes with a small number of residents to play pétanque. Four classes of the Saint-Nicolas school in Saint-Rambert are offered bowling sports on different courses,” concludes Antoine Coombe.