in Paris, one of the last bastions of the Breton puck is called PSG

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“Let’s have a friendly drink to start.” Near the Bassin de la Villette, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, cheeks collide. A series of kisses and smiles. A few meters away, a twenty men perform pull-ups, push-ups and bodybuilding exercises in front of a sound system that spits out lively American rap. Funny scene under the fading light of a late summer sun.

A sport little established in Paris

However, this agitation does not seem to disturb the gang of Saint-Germain Puck (PSG), made up of around twenty members. Three weeks after making its comeback during a tournament contested at Hasard Ludique (18th), the association of Breton and Vendée palets is taking advantage of one of its last opportunities to play outdoors.

Created in 2019, this organization begins its fifth season. A recent existence, but already old on the scale of the capital, where associations are gradually dying out. Because this sport, which is very established in the west of France, is struggling to anchor in the capital.

“When I arrived in Paris, in 2018, there were five associations. Today, we are more than two », explains Joseph Olivier. For a year and a half, this affable and dynamic man has been part of the PSG directorate, run by three people from the west of France. “We want to perpetuateour activity, he proclaims. Many associations are abandoned because the founders leave after their studies or their first job in Paris.” To do this, the method is simple.

Humor and self-deprecation

At Palet Saint-Germain, seriousness is diluted in a bath d’humour , self-deprecatinget d’amusement. “We play while drinking,” summarizes Maxime Tängri, also a member of the office. Near the wooden boards on which small cast iron spheres measuring 56 mm and weighing almost 200 grams suddenly land, the cups are never very far away. “I play badly without beer,” quips one of the players, engaged in a close game.

With light spirits, the participants launch into the assault on the wooden rectangle. The principle is simple: place a puck the nearestof a small cast iron circle, which pétanque enthusiasts could assimilate to a cochonnet. To do this, the launcher is located five meters away. Games are won by the best of twelve points. A game of skill that requires little physical ability and fits into local culture.

In Ille-et-Vilaine, in the Cotes-d’Armor, in Mayenne in part of the Loire-Atlantique, the puck has united ever since several decades . “I played throughout my youth at Guerche-de-Bretagne, near Rennes. It’s the cradle,” slips Didier, who arrived from Romainville (Seine-Saint-Denis) to play tough games with PSG.

Several tournaments planned

Forgotten the farms of his childhood, the playground rubs shoulders with the buildings. If the framework evolves, the passion is not altered. And there will be no shortage of opportunities to enhance conviviality. Because the association will organize several tournamentsat the end of 2024 and in 2025. Objective, to raise a little money to achieve budgetary “balance”, according to Joseph Olivier.

On the program, the cast iron festivalthe Brittany Daythe traditional annual tournament at the Arènes de Lutèce (5th). The opportunity for lay people to learn about sport. More experienced players will have the opportunity to participate in the Île-de-France Cupwhich will be organized by Palet Saint-Germain on May 1, 2025. In the meantime, it is possible to join the club by paying five euros.

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