After three years of existence, the agreement Basque Coast Handballwhich is based, or was based, on the Aviron Bayonnais Handball and Anglet-Biarritz Olympique Handball clubs, risk of not being able to return to the path of competition. The fault of the withdrawal, on April 11, of Anglet-Biarritz Olympique Handball (ABOHB), which would evoke financial reasons to explain this decision. On the side of Aviron Bayonnais Handball, and Côte Basque Handball, this decision is difficult to pass.
A three-week deadline
The main problem of this withdrawal, which disrupts the structure of the cartel, the timing is tight to say the least. “A restructuring solution must be found very quickly, explains Caroline Legleu, president of Aviron Bayonnais Handball. The Organizing Committee for Competitions will need to know if we can start again for a new season or not.“Very quickly, that is to say for the middle of June.”Fortunately, the French Handball Federation and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine League are helping us to find a solution, because the project was coherent in terms of territorial coverage and sports performance.” reassures Jean-Pierre Guesnet, manager of Côte Basque Handball.
I cannot tell you that there is no risk that the club will disappear. – Caroline Legleu, president of Aviron Bayonnais Handball
Three weeks of delay, therefore, to save a project of access to the high level of women. Indeed, this season, the team engaged in National 1 women finished on a good 4th place, while the girls of National 3 are promoted to National 2. These two teams are therefore directly concerned, as are the U17 women. The objective is to save these teams, and to maintain them at their current level under the name Côte Basque Handball.
Several ways out of the crisis
The first consequence of ABOHB’s withdrawal is the creation of the Côte Basque Handball entity. “We filed statutes, Côte Basque Handball becomes an independent club, says Jean-Pierre Guesnet. But for the moment, it’s an empty shell, we have to wait for the approval of the Federation, which must check that everything is in order, and that we are not “stealing” a team from Aviron Bayonnais Handball.“A premature independence, for a club”which was intended to become a separate entity anyway, we could not rely on our two clubs forever confesses Caroline Legleu. But here, it’s a bit sudden.”
For now, the French Handball Federation is working on a temporary restructuring solution in coordination with Côte Basque Handball and Aviron Bayonnais Handball, the last support club of the agreement. “And we are hopeful that it will succeed, we cannot conceive of this team simply disappearing” express Caroline Legleu and Jean-Pierre Guesnet together.
If there’s anything to remember, it’s that everyone wants it to work. – Caroline Legleu, president of Aviron Bayonnais Handball
Contacted by us, the management of Anglet-Biarritz Olympique Handball did not wish to respond to our requests, and specifies that it will “a press release later.”