The Ping Tour is organized every year by the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT), to take the game of Table Tennis to every corner of France and engage local players and fans of the sport. It’s an initiative that has been run by the FFTT every year since 2013, to promote Table Tennis.
On 17 August 2022, the Ping Tour made its way to Boulogne-sur-Mer, a seaside city in the North of France, and this time the locals also got to experience Hockey, as a result of the collaboration between the French Hockey Federation (FFH) and the FFTT, to demonstrate and promote the sport as a part of the Tour as well as promoting the international hockey qualifying tournament nearby.
The FFH was present in the city center and introduced locals to hockey by leading workshops and demonstration on a street hockey pitch. Local citizens and tourists, young and old, got the opportunity to play hockey and discover the joys of the sport.
“With the Paris Olympics at our doorstep, we are intensifying the visibility and promotion of hockey all over France. We strongly believe that a sustainable growth of hockey, whether that is by creating a larger fanbase or initiating new players, should also pass by partnering up with other sports. In light of this philosophy, we work together with the Federation of table tennis who organize a “Tour de France” road trip. This event is promoted via the Paris 2024 scheme: Terre des Jeux,” said Cathelijne Rockall, Vice President FFH – Marketing & Communication.
Terre des Jeux, an initiative by the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, recognizes local authorities taking action to promote more developed and inclusive participation in sport, at town and regional levels, and engages with various stakeholders in the sporting movement. FFH has been making the best use of this initiative by promoting and demonstrating Hockey in various corners of the country.
On 15 and 17 September 2022, FFH will also be present at the Urban Week in La Défense, Paris, with demonstrations of Hockey being presented alongside other Olympic sports like basketball, football and skateboarding.
With less than 2 years to go till the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Hockey is making its presence felt in France, as more and more people discover the joys and thrills of the sport with every passing day.
