More than 300 participants gathered last Friday for the fourth edition of the Soirée des Talents in Les Angles, an annual municipal event honoring the town’s most decorated athletes across departmental and national competitions. Paul Mély and Deputy for Sports Christel Froc distributed the official awards, while municipal councilor Christophe Bardin presented the multi-discipline laureates.
Rugby, Football and Basketball Teams Secure Regional Titles
Team disciplines anchored much of the evening’s recognition, led by the rugby and football contingents. In rugby union, the senior Fédérale 2B squad from RCAGR secured a second-place finish in their pool, while the R1 juniors claimed third place in the Occitanie League final phase. On the football pitch, EMAF’s U19 side captured the district play-offs, earning promotion into the regional U20 championship.
Basketball also featured prominently in the town’s athletic showcase. The LASA U15 feminine team finished as R1 vice-champions in the Sud League, while their U18 counterparts claimed the title in the same regional competition. These collective milestones indicate a strong developmental pipeline across multiple age categories.
National Honors in Dance and Martial Arts
The performing arts brought high-level individual accolades to the municipality. Emy Weber earned a unanimous gold medal alongside three jury commendations in dance, securing a qualification for the European competition scheduled in Madrid for November. Jeanne Labesse and Clémentine Levert also took home national gold in advanced contemporary and pre-professional classical divisions respectively. Meanwhile, Emy Tacita Planche of Danse Attitud earned regional recognition and successfully integrated into the Avignon Conservatory’s specialized dance-study program.
Combat sports maintained a heavy presence across the podiums. In taekwondo, Lili Deleuze, Jurgen Vegi, and members of the Houndonougbo family collected multiple national and international medals. Sasha Houndonougbo captured the 2026 Occitanie title, won the Nice International Open, and secured first place at the Livron-sur-Drôme Espoir Cup alongside a French Cup runner-up finish. In English boxing, EBAM representative Mohamed Ounaï was celebrated for his 2026 French national championship title and his selection to the French amateur national team, presented in his absence by trainer Brigitte Pastor.
Aquatics, Combat Grappling, and Boules Excellence
| Athlete | Discipline | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Bérénice Tardy | Swimming | Gard Vice-Champion (200m backstroke), French Benjamin qualification (100m breaststroke) |
| Marina Rubio & Cindy St Denis | Petanque | Gard Champions in Women’s Doubles and Triplets |
| Allan Mourre | Swimming | Gard Departmental 2nd place (50m breaststroke) |
Aquatic events and mat sports added further depth to the municipal honor roll. Bérénice Tardy claimed the Gard vice-champion title in the 200-meter backstroke and qualified for the French Benjamin championship in the 100-meter breaststroke, while Allan Mourre took second departmentally in the 50-meter breaststroke. In judo-jujitsu, Medhi Salah delivered a standout performance as the senior second-division French champion and third-place finisher in the junior first division, accompanied by cadet second-division national runner-up Salim Salah.
Pétanque representation from La Boule du Forum reaffirmed the breadth of local sporting success. Marina Rubio and Cindy St Denis captured the Gard title in women’s doublettes before combining with Sophie Canovas to win the triplette crown. Youth competitors Kymani Helfrid, Alonzo Cortes, Lyam Mercier, and Telio Mercier rounded out the honorees with multiple departmental titles, cementing a comprehensive celebration of athletic achievement in Les Angles.
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