the essential
This year, the Albigensian handball club broke its record for licensees. At the same time, the city will carry out work in Jean-Jaurès to provide the club (and other users) with more suitable premises.
Never in its history has the Albigensian handball club had so many members. 379 in total including 16 in adapted sports. To supervise all these little people, the club is obliged to have four employees, two of whom are full-time. Because at the same time, he is a victim of the volunteering crisis, which has worsened since Covid.
In terms of results, HBC Albi does not have a high-level team. The girls progress in pre-national and the boys in excellence. They could have hoped for the climb but did not succeed. The under-18s should join the French championship at the start of the school year. And the under-15s play at the highest regional level.
Have fun on the field
More than the result, the club’s policy is to offer the practice of sport at all ages. From 3 to 65 years old! “Our objective is really to open the practice of handball to all audiences,” assures the president, Hervé Rolandez. Today, the club has women’s teams in almost all categories. “The goal is to have fun on the pitch,” insists Hervé Rolandez.
But the president admits, “winning is part of the fun”. The club therefore has ambitions for next season with the participation of the under-18s in the French championship and the accession of the two senior teams to the higher level.
Why such enthusiasm when the club does not have a flagship team? The results of the French teams of course. France has dominated the international scene for several decades. But also handball itself, which gets little attention outside of competitions. “Handball has the reputation of a clean sport. And it’s an indoor sport,” says president Hervé Rolandez. Finally, there is the quality of the supervision and the project of the Albigensian club.
More than €400,000 worth of work
To help the club in its progress, the city will provide the Jean-Jaurès gymnasium with a 100 m2 multipurpose room. It can be used as a gym or reception. There will be storage and storage rooms and an office for the handball club. The gymnasium will also be equipped with a double locker room for referees of 14 m2. The cost of the work is €417,000.
For the club this project is important. “After or between the matches, we have no possible reception conditions, explains the president. For the moment, we are doing this in the entrance hall of Jean-Jaurès. This will make it possible to organize partner evenings after the match , to receive the opposing teams.”
Today, the club has a budget of €180,000. “It’s a small SME,” underlines the president. Proof of the enthusiasm, partnerships have doubled this year. With one or two Olympic titles, it risks moving up a gear.
