Following with his special previous to the start of the XIIIº World Championship by National Teams, from the Spanish Federation they continue to bring us closer to the adversaries our internationals will have in their respective Group Phases. On this occasion, we will learn more about France, one of the rivals of the pupils of Icíar Montes.
Padel World Press .- Together with Mexico, they form Group A of a competition that will run from the 14 to the 20 in November at the Fifth Club facilities of Marinha Racket. Among its objectives: to fight to be part of the four best teams in the world, as they already achieved in the years 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Once again, the international galas will be directed by Robin Haziza, considered one of the best players in the French padel. A great lover of this sport, he is not only the owner of the first specific paddle club that was inaugurated in France, but also, to improve his game he has moved to Barcelona to train under Juan Alday and with Marta Marrero .
Do not miss this interview that our FEP colleagues offer us.
How do you see your team facing the 2016 World Championship?
In the male plot, the level is higher each year and we have players of average quality. In girls, in my country there is less number of players who practice this sport but, nevertheless, those who are entering do so with great enthusiasm and commitment. That is something that I value greatly. As a right hand on the team I have Laura Clergue, one of the best players in France who is a couple along with Audrey Casanova. As I exercise both as a Women's Manager and as a player of the men's team, I have to delegate some tasks.
Since when did you lead this women's team and how did you decide to embark on the company of training the French team?
Well, in addition to being a padel player, I also do tennis courses. In one of them, part of the girls who are now in the team asked me about the possibility of directing them. This was about two to three years ago. Since then, the truth is that I have really enjoyed doing this work. They form a splendid group that grows every year.
If we talk about objectives, which one do you set for this World Cup?
I do not have a defined goal so to speak. Being aware of the level of the European teams, of the South American teams, except for Argentina, I have some ignorance. I can not venture to say that our goal is to defeat Mexico and move to the next round or get the best possible result. Knowing this, we will try to enjoy as much as possible, pretending that my players give everything on the track and learn a lot from this experience, in which we will compete against the best selection in the world, Spain.
How have you seen the evolution of paddle tennis in France in recent years?
To give you an idea, in the last two years we have gone from 100 tracks to 400 in my country. However, there is still a long way to go. The French Padel Federation still does not give too much aid for the development of our sport, both at the level of clubs and players, so it is difficult for there to be such an accelerated growth as that which has occurred, for example, in Spain. Despite this, if we have managed to significantly increase the number of tracks and clubs, I can venture that I believe that in five years we will see considerable development. Also events such as the Monte Carlo WPT have promoted the development of paddle tennis in France, giving local players the opportunity to play the Preliminary in the Professional Circuit and see the level that can be reached in this sport.
In addition to being a player, you are the owner of one of the pioneering paddle tennis clubs in your country ... How important has the Real Club Pádel been for the development of the sport?
Thanks to this club, I think that people have realized that you can earn money through paddle tennis, that it is not only a moderately minority sport ... Well focused, it can bring benefits and become a business. This is something important, since the more people bet on models like mine, or the more tennis clubs that build paddle tennis courts, the more diffusion the sport will have. In addition, the Tennis Federation is giving subsidies for the construction of paddle tennis courts in tennis clubs, something positive for there to be more practitioners in France.
Finally, Robin, what do you wish for this world cup on a personal level?
My greatest desire is to enjoy the experience of living a Championship, in which I could not be in the last edition. On a sporting level, it would be very satisfying if we could qualify both the men's and women's teams for the next phase.
French Women's Team Selection: Laura Clergue / Audrey Casanova / Sandy Godart / Geraldine Sorel / Elodie Damiano / Laurene Berard / Alice Collombon / Jessica Ginier.
Image: Padel Magazine
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