2023-08-27 17:53:24
Let’s go for Paris Squash 2023! It is thanks to Eric Nizard and his team that we can now attend a world squash tournament in Paris, or more precisely a Platinium tournament, the equivalent of a Grand Slam in tennis. From today until September 2, the 96 best players in the world (2 tables of 48) will compete on a glass court at the Palais de Tokyo with a view of the Eiffel Tower. An idyllic setting for an explosive show, a mix of power, tactical finesse and… diving. It was during the media day organized on Friday August 25 that Sportsmarketing met Eric Nizard, president of the Paris Squash Project and promoter of the tournament.
Media day of Paris Squash 2023 – Friday August 25, 2023
Bruno Cammalleri: what was the idea behind this tournament?
Eric Nizard : this tournament was actually born out of frustration. Basically I am a squash lover, I play in the 5th series and I have been playing for a very long time. But above all, I love this sport! I still remember today the first minutes of the first time I played. I remember the pleasure I took there, and since then, this desire has never left me. I have seen a lot of events develop, we all know of course Roland Garros, but there is no big squash tournament in France whereas this type of tournament exists everywhere else in the world: in London, Cairo, New York, Shanghai, Doha, Zurich etc…
Bruno Cammalleri: who were your first supporters?
Eric Nizard : we are thinking of carrying out the project in Paris and I talk regarding it to several friends who tell me that it is a superb idea but that it will be difficult to materialize. We first contacted the Ile-de-France Region and we spoke regarding the project to the vice-president in charge of sports Patrick Karam. At the end of our exchange he had already organized a meeting for us within the Region with the president of the French squash federation Julien Muller. It was during this meeting that we presented our project in November 2021. They were waiting for a profile like mine, a passionate entrepreneur, to be able to launch such an event. And it was on that day that the project was well and truly launched so that it might see the light of day.
Bruno Cammalleri: what next?
Eric Nizard : then I created the Paris Squash Project association to be able to set up a team. I met Camille Serme, 12 times French champion, six times European champion and ranked second in the world. We quickly understood each other and she became an ambassador for the tournament. We also have in the team Philippe Signoret, tournament director, Pierre Vauzelle, on branding/communication matters, Rémi Leprince, director of operations, or even Christophe Bouvier, administrative and financial director. We are a team of regarding a dozen people. In start-up mode and ‘nothing scares us’ mode. We started with a clean sheet. Organizing this tournament was a real emotional lift, but once the train is on it can’t be stopped. They didn’t know it was impossible, so they did it. This quote from Mark Twain stayed with me throughout this project.
Bruno Cammalleri: on what pillars did you develop the project?
Eric Nizard : there are three pillars that are essential for us in the success of this event and in attracting partners: first of all, Paris Squash 2023 is a show. The public will attend the matches, it’s dynamic, it’s invigorating, it sends. It’s an incredible sight. You have to come see it! In the past, it was said that this sport was not very visible and poorly publicized, and this is where I come to the second important aspect, which is visibility. We needed real visibility. My team and I can proudly say today that we were able to attract L’Equipe Live and Sport in France who will be our broadcasters throughout the event, from the first rounds to the final. The broadcast will be free of charge, in clear. Third pillar, the place. We needed an iconic and emblematic place. We fought to have this place of the Palais de Tokyo and we got it. It’s an incredible place, facing the Eiffel Tower.
Bruno Cammalleri: you mentioned your media partners, what regarding the other partners?
Eric Nizard : we have FDE (Française de l’énergie) and Machefert Group as platinum partners, Annette K as gold partner, Blue Pool Capital as silver partner. I can also mention Crédit Mutuel, Tecnifibre, Karakal etc… there are others. We fought to have all these partners with us. We are happy to have the Île-de-France Region, the Greater Paris Metropolis and the Ministry of Sports as institutional partners. I just regret not having had time to have more but Rome was not built in a day and the 2024 edition will take place with more partners.
Some figures on squash in France:
16,300 licensees out of an estimated 200,000 practitioners in France
244 affiliated clubs including 851 courts
319 affiliated associations
15 leagues
30 French championships organized each year
Title photo credit: Jérôme Elhaïk
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