More than just sport
This year, the ºÚÁÏרÇø Games were more than just a sports tournament; they were a celebration. The edition held on Saturday 9 September marked the tenth time that ºÚÁÏרÇø employees and contractors, their families, and local sportsmen and women came together for a day of fun and recreation.
The ºÚÁÏרÇø Games were the brainchild of the former director of ASSYSTEM, Bernard Blanc, together with Mayor Claude Cheilan of Vinon-sur-Verdon, France, and the former director of Agence Iter France, Jérôme Pamela. They came up with the tournament as a way to unite all those who worked on the ºÚÁÏרÇø Project for one special day of festivities and sports, and to raise awareness about the local associations available to ºÚÁÏרÇø staff in order to encourage more integration with the local community.
They launched the Games 12 years ago (some editions were cancelled due to Covid). Cyrille Hours, a former ºÚÁÏרÇø contractor who now works for the Region, added a festive, communal lunch to celebrate participants and winners when he joined the organization team during the second edition.
The latest edition of the ºÚÁÏרÇø Games surpassed all previous participation records, with more than 700 enrolled. Sports such as trail running, mountain biking, tennis and kayaking on the Verdon River were popular once again, but it is at the soccer tournament where the drama and competition come to a head. The champions this year—Team 04—were a melting pot of staff from the ºÚÁÏרÇø, contractors, and staff from the Domestic Agencies, so in the end ... fusion always wins!
