PORTRAIT. Yvan Wouandji and his twin brother Yvon carried the banner of France during the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. A huge reward for the jewel of French blind football, who was seriously injured last March and will not be able to take part in the competition.
In front of the tide of French para-athletes, Yvan Wouandji and his brother proudly brandish the France sign. The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games is a total success.It was magical, extraordinary, unique.”exults the Olympic vice-champion at the London 2012 Olympic Games.I was informed of my appointment only ten days before the event. It is a great source of pride to wear the colours of France internationally, especially with my twin brother, because it highlights the role of carers.”
Born in Douala (Cameroon) in 1993, Yvan Wouandji lost his sight at the age of nine, after a retinal detachment. Far from letting himself be defeated, he discovered a new approach to life and human relationships.I reinvented myself”he sums up. Above all, he discovers a new way to practice his passion, football, through blind football.
Star and spokesperson for blind football in France
In 2011, he signed with the Saint-Mandé club. Since then, his trophy cabinet has grown to become one of the most stocked in the discipline: double winner of the European championship (2011 and 2022), winner of the Coupe de France (2011), the French championship (2015), best player of the championship (2019) and above all silver medalist at the London Paralympic Games (2012).
His fame also soared, especially after a sumptuous goal scored against Germany in 2015. He was seen shaking hands with Pelé, Mbappé and Beckham; a consultant on RMC et iTele ; decorated with the Order of Merit by the President of the Republic François Hollande; or interviewed by Brut et Radio France. His passion also extends to transmission. He travels around France to introduce blind football to schools, training centers, businesses and associations.
Currently, he is involved in the “Just Play” project, which aims to create a revolutionary complex in Sénart (Île-de-France). It includes a six-story tower (each floor dedicated to a variety of sports), an immersive Arena stadium (with a virtual and real audience), an incubator dedicated to “sport tech”, a hotel residence and apartments for rent. Laurent Sablayrolles, who is his boss and the leader of the project, admires the involvement of the blind football player: “He is a great man. I consider him to be someone who is valid. When you see him, you feel a power that emanates.” With his support, Yvan hopes to democratize his sport and create a “Clairefontaine” of blind football.
“We must not trivialize the performance” of para-athletes
During Paris 2024, Yvan Wouandji wants to share the voice of blind athletes and more broadly those suffering from a disability. His vision of things stands out in the media landscape. While he is not in favor of excessive heroization of para-athletes, he also does not share the ambient discourse making disabled athletes athletes “like the others.”Their performance should not be trivialized. Doing a 400 meter dash swimming “Being an amputee is a feat. It requires qualities that go beyond the purely sporting framework.”
Now Yvan Wouandji represents blind football in France and beyond, in Africa, Qatar and soon in the United States. Julien Zelela, patriarch of blind football and its coach for years, sees in him a “spiritual son” : «He is a unifying citizen, a model of hope for young people. To tell you, I cried when I learned of his injury, and he was the one who came to reassure me because he has this ability of resilience and of always distinguishing the positive.” His relatives like Myriam Kelite greet a “symbol of resilience, which conveys messages of diversity, tolerance and hope”.
Also readParalympic Games: Blind athlete Timothée Adolphe speaks out after being refused a taxi
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a goal?
His childhood friends are also not surprised to see him as an ambassador for the Paralympic Games, noting his interpersonal skills and sunny character. Yvan wanted to be educated with the “sighted” people since high school, refusing the boundaries placed around disability. Jehanne, a former classmate who also has a vision problem, is happy for him: “He has the potential to become a role model, both for athletes and for people who are not athletes.” Sasha, a close friend, rents a ““a persevering man who always made his handicap a strength, a beautiful ambassador’s soul”.
Among his close friends, first and foremost his mother and his twin brother, all were counting on his participation in the Paris 2024 Games. Yvan Wouandji acknowledges his disappointment: “I’m frustrated, it’s years of training and sacrifices.” But he hastens to add: “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be there in four years.”. Myriam Kelite, who guides him during the matches, has no doubts: “You have to dream big. He had already had the first operation a few years ago, and he proved to be even more efficient, it was a surprise.” This time, in gold?
