First up, let’s talk sports. This weekend marks the start of the first gathering of the Super League for France’s top women’s softball players. This format worked well last year over three weekends with around thirty of the best French players. It’s being brought back this year, at least for two weekends. We’ll have more on this later to give you a better look, as the draft and team selections were made this week. Below are the rosters of the three teams set to face off over two days in Boulouris, Saint-Raphaël.
Staying with softball, the men’s division sees the third weekend of the championship set to take place in Nice. However, several matches have been postponed so far, and the championship isn’t unfolding quite as planned.
Federation
Recap of the Federation’s general assembly held in Bordeaux last Saturday, March 16. For the past decade, the federation’s financial balance was maintained. This year, however, due to various reasons—unsecured subsidies, travel overruns, and a lower volume of financially contributing licenses—the deficit has reached €55,000. This has led to a very tight 2024 budget forecast, which fortunately doesn’t include many international championships and thus travel expenses that could further strain the accounts. A rather solemn silence followed the presentations by the President, the National Technical Director, and the Treasurer, represented by the Secretary, with no questions asked.
The big news of the year is that the Olympiad is coming to an end and a new president will be elected through a list-based vote in November. We knew the Federation’s general assembly would be a starting point for future candidates to emerge. The first to step forward is Didier Seminet, the former federation president, who, after a complicated stint on the National Olympic Committee and in the elections for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), wants to return to French affairs for the new Olympiad. His main argument is that many people have urged him to come back. We’ll see if our community can field a competing list or if, on the contrary, it will unite behind the former president’s candidacy.
