Is table football disappearing from bars? For Christel Allaire, there's no question of standing idly by! The French table football champion recently opened her table football club to bring together local players and unearth new talent. The club, called "Les Pirates," will offer training sessions and discovery tournaments in a quality sports setting, the Malamok.
A foosball club to break stereotypes
When Christel Allaire decided to create her own foosball club, she had a specific idea in mind: to break the image of a "bar-side pastime" and the ashtray smell that clings to foosball. For this mini-football virtuoso, it's a "sport in its own right, but still too little known." A sport she discovered 20 years ago and which immediately won her over:
"I trained up to five hours a day at the beginning. There's no other choice if you want to progress. It's very physical. I'm a rather nervous person. Foosball forces me to channel my energy."
The sharpshooter insists that the sport is largely mixed, she explains: "More and more women are getting into it." This is yet another misconception that will be challenged by Les Pirates.
Can anyone play foosball? Yes, but on the condition that they adopt a sporty attitude. The club president explains: "It's a true team sport where solidarity is essential."
Remember that a Disciplinary Committee can be formed to reprimand a player whose behavior is considered harmful or unsportsmanlike. Table football is a sport for everyone, yes, but above all, a regulated sport.
Discover table football, train, and compete
Christel Allaire will regularly organize discovery tournaments at Malamok (a performance hall, entertainment venue, and leisure center) to allow everyone, young and old, to come and try the simple pleasures of table football. "The little ones can bring a stool to get down to table level," explains the player selected for the French national team.
More experienced players will be able to perfect their playing techniques thanks to the weekly training sessions offered to members, which will be held in a room upstairs at the Malamok. Friendliness and team spirit will be essential. Before even considering competition, they will first need to prepare properly.
But in the near future, the Pirates could well set out to challenge for their first title...
