The Gers Departmental Council has inaugurated two new 3×3 Basketball courts at the Oxygers holiday center in Arreau, marking an important step in the modernization of this emblematic site.
These new infrastructures, perfectly adapted to the practice of this booming discipline, enrich the sporting offer of this place intended mainly for young people from the Gers.
An investment for the youth of Gers
For several years, the Department of Gers has been actively working to renovate and improve the facilities of the Oxygers center, a vacation and leisure location dedicated to welcoming young people. The Louron and Montious buildings have notably been renovated to offer optimal reception conditions, in particular for Gers schoolchildren who benefit from this unique setting for their sporting and educational activities.
The addition of these 3×3 basketball courts is part of this modernization dynamic. This project was financed as part of the “Terres de Jeux” call for projects launched by the National Sports Agency (ANS), which supports the promotion of Olympic disciplines with a view to the Paris 2024 Games. These fields, created according to the standards of the French Basketball Federation (FFB), complement a wide range of sports equipment already present on the site, such as the swimming pool, the beach volleyball court, the football/rugby field, a shooting area the arc and the “Bike Parc” with its pump track and mountain bike circuits.
A total investment of 1.1 million euros
The renovation of Oxygers is not limited to the new basketball courts. The modernization project also includes a renovation of the wet networks and development of the center's outdoor spaces. The total investment in this work amounts to 1.1 million euros, of which 187,944 euros were specifically allocated to the creation of the 3×3 basketball courts. This funding was made possible thanks to several contributions: the National Sports Agency (€39,648), the Hautes-Pyrénées Departmental Council (€36,500), the French Basketball Federation (€2,000), and self-financing of €109,796 from the Gers Departmental Council.
A framework conducive to the development of young people
The inauguration of this new equipment was a strong moment for the Gers, particularly because of the emotion aroused by the silver medal of the French men's 3×3 basketball team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. providing young Gers residents with modern and accessible facilities, the Oxygers center positions itself as a place of inspiration and discovery of Olympic sports. The objective is to encourage the development of young people through the practice of 3×3 basketball, but also to promote essential values such as respect, team spirit and fair play.
A project supported by local and national personalities
The inauguration brought together several important personalities, starting with Philippe Dupouy, President of the Department of Gers, who underlined the importance of this investment for the youth of the department: “Today, with the inauguration of these basketball courts 3×3, we are making a strong choice: to allow everyone, young and old, passing through this magnificent holiday center, to indulge in physical activity in optimal conditions. »
Jean-Pierre Siutat, President of the French Basketball Federation, Michel Pélieu, President of the Hautes-Pyrénées Department, and several other local personalities, also took part in this ceremony.
In short, this inauguration marks a turning point for the Oxygers center, which continues to reinvent itself to offer the young people of Gers quality sports facilities, in a privileged natural setting. Thanks to these new 3×3 basketball courts, the department hopes to strengthen the practice of sport and encourage the discovery of new disciplines, while promoting values of integration and sharing.
