Roland Griffon, a few months ago, no one was jostling at the gate to succeed you. But since then, two tendencies are tearing within the club to win the next elections. How did we get there?
Indeed. on the one hand, we have ” VNTC Horizon 2022 ” which essentially brings together former ATPN staff and on the other hand ” VNTC, Tennis for all ” whose program is more in line with continuity. Last spring, we noted a loss of nearly 100 members (over 2020 and 2021) and for the vast majority of licensees “ leisure ” and small competition. They regretted not being able to access certain courts occupied by “Pole performance”, directed by Tristan Gabriel with whom we had signed an agreement. Faced with this observation, we had to react. I then started discussions with Tristan (Gabriel) in order to reorganize our collaboration.
“I hope we can put the pieces back together”
Could an agreement be reached?
No and I regret it because I was, with Tristan, at the initiative of setting up this structure. But as a good father and in order to ensure the sustainability of the 14 employees of the club, the agreement was ultimately not renewed. Since then, we have seen applications from licensees of the VNTC but most of whom contribute to “Pôle Performance”.
The ” VNTC Horizon 2022 ” movement brings together and has the support of almost all the best players in your club (Bellussi, Boulangeot, Bozzolo, Guérin, Wysocki, Perrin, Bellott ..). It also has in its ranks Etienne Lavigne, the former president of the ATPN. These elections do not they boil down to a fight between the competitors and leisure tennis?
Probably. But throughout my presidency, I never wanted to pit one against the other. Who could claim the opposite? In these elections, some defend personal interests at the expense of the general interest. If the merger was perhaps a good thing, I regret that the amalgamation, as I imagined it, never really happened. For me, it is essential that the future elected committee work on this coexistence. Moreover, in 2022, the current will of the VNTC is to continue to allow all its competitors to evolve at the highest possible level.
We imagine that you would have liked a completely different outing (Editor’s note: Roland Griffon has been president since 1986)?
Indeed, I do not see things well especially as the electoral campaign is deleterious. Moreover, François Werner, the mayor of Villers, wrote to all the licensees to try to calm the spirits. I really hope that we can put the pieces back together after these elections for all.
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