Following the Open de France de Baseball5, Baseball TV France met up with the Tigers de Thiais club. Christophe Goniot represents his victorious and French championship-winning team.
BTVF: Christophe Goniot, you’re a member of the Tigers de Thiais club, can you introduce your club to us?
Sure thing, I’m not the president, that’s my mom Colette Goniot. The club was founded over 40 years ago by Venezuelan artists seeking political refuge. There’s always been a strong Latin American influence here, with a real focus on education through sport. Many internationals have come through the club, including Jamel Boutagra, Pierrick Le Mestre, Amin Touahri, Leo Nontanovanh, Yoan Vaugelade, Theo Lackmeche, and myself 😉
Christophe Goniot
BTVF: How do you approach the two disciplines of baseball/softball and baseball5 with your members?
We’ve got one of the world’s best players with Cuban Omar Diodene. I helped launch the sport with the WBSC in Rome. Right now, we only play during the winter and in senior competitions. But with the Youth Olympic Games coming to Dakar in 2026, we’re thinking about opening a baseball5 section for middle schoolers.
Omar Diodene
BTVF: You’ve just won the Open de France de Baseball5 in the Senior category. What does this title mean to you and your club?
We lost the first Open, and personally, as a competitor, that defeat has always stuck with me. We were determined to reclaim that trophy, and the team performed brilliantly, not losing a single game and conceding fewer than 10 runs throughout the competition.
The podium with the Squales de Vauréal in second and Barracufice in third
BTVF: You’re a baseball enthusiast and work for a TV channel (Bein Sport). As a sports journalist, do you think French baseball or baseball5 could benefit from more media attention, and how?
BeIN is helping boost MLB’s visibility, and that’s trickling down to greater awareness of the game and more interest in playing. The MLB should come to Paris in 2025, and we need to capitalize on that momentum to welcome new players to our clubs. For baseball5, the focus is on its Olympic future, starting with the Youth Olympic Games, and potentially even the 2032 Games.
There are two strong development paths and significant opportunities for clubs, as well as content for the media.
BTVF: What can we wish for you?
100,000 baseball, softball, and baseball5 players by 2032 😉
Photo credits: Glenn Gervot
