Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and Didier Séminet: two candidates for two visions of the CNOSF

It didn't take long, less than three minutes out of Didier Séminet's twenty-minute timed presentation, for the president of the French Baseball Softball Federation to unleash his first blows against his opponent Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, former Minister of Sports and the Paris 2024 Games, the other candidate to succeed David Lappartient .

The two contenders' grand oral, held Monday evening in the CNOSF amphitheater and broadcast live on Sport en France, took a more muscular turn when the former secretary general of Brigitte Henriques, president from 2021 to 2023, assured that the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life had not commented on his opponent's commitment to the presidential race.

In the process, Didier Séminet pointed out the " contradictions " of the former minister, who herself signed the ministry's three-year objectives agreement with the CNOSF, currently being challenged by the government and which deprives the sports movement of €7 million of the €9.4 million included in the text. " He's way off base ," Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who spoke first according to the draw, reacted to the press. She specified that the HATVP had given her an "explicit green light" and that she would be subject to its control if elected.

"Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is the sports movement's last chance to exist after the post-Olympic and Paralympic Games light goes out."

Beyond their very different styles, the two candidates, unsurprisingly, also revealed divergent visions of governance, while emphasizing the need for a strong sports movement. For it is indeed on their ability to exert influence over public authorities that the candidates are judged by federation presidents at a time when the Ministry of Sports is regularly put on a diet.

" Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is the sports movement's last chance to survive after the post-Olympic and Paralympic Games lights go out. She is the only one with the network, the power, and the fighting spirit needed in the difficult times ahead. The difference in expertise in the debate is glaring ," reacted Philippe Bana, president of the French Handball Federation, who sponsored the Minister of Sports. Didier Séminet's supporters took a divergent view, such as Eric Tanguy, president of the French Volleyball Federation, who found the candidate " very good (...) He speaks a language that everyone understands, that of leaders, of volunteers, not technocratic and sincere ."

"How can you celebrate when you're treated like this (after the CNOSF budget cuts). I'm feeling healthy anger."

While Didier Séminet would like to head a National Olympic Committee like in Italy, where the all-powerful CONI serves as the Ministry of Sports, AOC prefers a " strong ministry and a strong CNOSF with links at all levels ." If elected, Didier Séminet plans to not participate in the September 14th sports festival, which was called for by the President of the Republic after the Games and which resulted in the parade of champions on the Champs-Élysées. " How can you celebrate when you're treated like this (after the CNOSF budget cuts). I'm feeling healthy anger. Rather than the empty chair policy, we could find ourselves at Place de la République, " explained Didier Séminet.

" Boycotting the sports festival would be a double punishment ," said the former director general of the French Tennis Federation. She emphasized that she would " give everything until the last minute " in this campaign. A meeting is planned for Tuesday with the candidate and her partner, Cédric Gosse , president of the French Triathlon Federation, who withdrew his candidacy to support her, at the headquarters of the French Judo Federation, including the presidents of volleyball, tennis, swimming, and equestrian sports.

Aware that the "big" federations are leaning toward his opponent, Didier Séminet indicated that he believes in his chances. " I'll need more federations than Amélie Oudéa-Castéra ," he acknowledged, since the number of votes varies depending on the federation. " I think the score will be 55% to 45%, but I don't know for whom ," he smiled. The answer will be given on June 19 at the general election meeting.