There was no fan-zone for Euro football at Blanc-Mesnil. On the other hand, the municipality has logically planned a public broadcast of the fights of the two star judokates of the city’s flagship club, the ESBM (Etoile Sportive du Blanc-Mesnil), selected for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Both arrived at Blanc-Mesnil in 2016 and aged 27, Madeleine known as “Mado” Malonga (-78 kg category; double European champion in 2018 and 2020, world champion in 2019, vice-world champion in 2021) and Margaux Pinot (-70 kg category; European champion in 2020, European vice-champion in 2021, triple world junior champion) are ranked world number 1 in their respective categories. They are therefore among the favorites of the competition, which will begin in a month.
“The entire population of Blanc-Mesnil must push these two girls to the gold medal,” presents the mayor (LR) Thierry Meignen. It is so exceptional to have two athletes from our region at the Olympics that I would like it to be a party all over the city, in their honor. “
The first fights at 4 a.m.
On July 28 and 29, all of Madeleine Malonga and Margaux Pinot’s fights will therefore be broadcast live at the Blanc-Mesnil theater… from 4 am, jet lag requires. In the event that the French women reach this stage of the competition, the final stages will be broadcast at 10 a.m., a schedule that is more affordable to as many people as possible.
The municipality is planning a distribution of coffees and a buffet to add conviviality to the event. Admission will be free, within the limit of 700 seats in the theater. Limit which would be reduced to 300, if the sanitary situation required it.
Blanc-Mesnil’s support for his two protégés does not stop there. A Facebook page has been created, where the two champions will share behind the scenes of the Olympic Games “Judo and sport in general convey a good image of the city”, underlines Thierry Meignen, specifying that the number of children made redundant at the EDSM has been constantly evolving since l arrival of Madeleine and Margaux in the town.
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