Nîmes Olympique crosses fingers for Martinez, SNO collective appeals to the new deputy to Sports, MMA has an appointment on Saturday at Parnasse, and a young swimmer from Nîmes in the French team.
Nîmes Olympique
Le NO crosses fingers for Martinez. Nîmes Olympique might have lost against Saint-Maur last Saturday if Pablo Martinez had played in that game? We will never know, but it was in the absence of the central defender that the Crocodiles’ fine streak ended (seven wins and one draw). The former La Corogne player injured his right hand’s major finger on April 4 while celebrating the victory against Rousset (2-1). While the duration of his unavailability remains unknown, it is certain that Martinez will also miss the trip to Hyères this Saturday at 6 p.m. (26th matchday). For the rest, the staff is keeping their fingers crossed. “Pablo’s season is not over, and we could have a pleasant surprise,” confesses Mickaël Gas. The Nîmes coach hopes to recover his player, a leader in the locker room and captain since his return, before the end of the championship. If the injury heals quickly, it is not impossible that the defender will regain his place in the last two or three matchdays of National 2.
SNO appeals to Bruno Ferrier. The Sauvons Nîmes Olympique collective has just requested a meeting with Bruno Ferrier, the new deputy to Sports of the city of Nîmes. SNO explains that they want to “assess the situation of the Antonins stadium and the Bastide training center, currently being bought by the city from Rani Assaf, as well as the necessary needs for the rehabilitation of the training center.” The other demand is for a visit to the Costières stadium, “to provide the most accurate assessment possible for renovation and a return to this venue, an important issue for a large majority of our members.” The collective had in recent months, addressed the candidates for municipal elections in Nîmes. Sauvons Nîmes Olympique is also a shareholder of the SAS (Simplified joint-stock company) up to 8,175 €, or 1.5% of the capital of 545,000 €.
Futsal
A futsal stage for 7-15 year olds. The Easter vacation period is conducive to various football tournaments and stages. But a brand new concept will be launched at Futsal Padel of Nîmes Ville Active. For five days, from April 20 to 24, a futsal stage will be accessible to young people (boys and girls) aged 7 to 15, whether licensed in a club or not, at a rate of 125€ per child. “It’s a diverse and modern concept, breaking the routine of what is usually proposed. The main activity remains futsal and is complementary to what is done in the club. There will also be 1.5 hours of padel, as well as field hockey, badminton, pétanque, and soccer-tennis. All these sports complement football,” explains Nicolas Bovetto, the former coach of Nîmes Olympique’s reserve team. For those who miss this first edition, other stages are expected to be organized as desired by the former French football international Christophe Cocard, who is the manager of Futsal padel Nîmes ville active. “This is the first time we organize it, but the goal is to sustain it as I think there is a great demand.” For more information, contact Nicolas Bovetto at 06.11.96.47.10.
MMA
Three Nîmesois in the octagon. This Saturday, April 18, the Jungle Strike Championship, a MMA gala, is back at Parnasse for its fourth edition. “The organization intentionally takes a different approach from opportunistic MMA. Here, there is no empty show or hype logic: the priority is given to sports equity, rigor, and respect for high level. We want to offer real MMA, competitive and structured,” ensures the founder Jordan Kapa. For this new edition, recognized and experienced profiles are on the program, such as James Llontop, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete (notably present at UFC 309 – vs. Jon Jones) and Dimitry Solimeis, a former PFL athlete. Solid confrontations are planned, like Julio Pereira vs. Claudeci Brito (Top 10 Brazil). Local talents from Nîmes are also featured, such as Islam Taisumov, Nolan Rais, and Mohamed Kebe, illustrating territorial anchoring and the development of a serious reserve. “The Jungle Strike Championship is not trying to follow a trend. It is building, with discipline and rigor, a league designed to last, aligned with the standards of the largest global organizations,” concludes Jordan Kapa.
Nautic Club Nîmois
Morales in Blues. It is in Font-Romeu that Pablo Morales, 15 years old and a member of the Nîmes Nautic Club, participated with the French swimming team in a three-week training camp. Invited by the FFN with his coach Nicholas Chanal, Pablo and the other juniors were able to enjoy a week of acclimatization to altitude before the arrival of seniors. A first for him, on such a long, intense, and experience-rich training camp. Among his peers, big names in French swimming and open water: Marc-Antoine Olivier, Logan Fontaine, David Aubry, and Damien Joly, with whom he was able to share several joint sessions. A well-structured program including 10 to 11 swimming sessions, two weight training sessions, and two cross-country skiing sessions per week. Not to mention the studies: the FFN and the climate and sport high school had set up tutoring with teachers from Font-Romeu to accompany the swimmers every day during school hours. A rich and intense experience, with 190 km of swimming covered in 20 days. Back in Nîmes since last weekend, Pablo is now preparing for the national Challenge of Saint-Raphaël, which takes place from April 17 to 19. This event is the deadline to qualify for the junior French teams. Five Nîmes swimmers will be participating this weekend: Penard Margaux, Penard Faustine, Gascuel Chloé, Morales Pablo, and Stephan Elias.
