Nearly 10,000 kilometers from its Provençal cradle, pétanque has found fertile ground in Thailand. The monarchy pampers its champions who are among the best players in the world.
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Double world champion at the age of 20, Ratchata Khamdee made her dreams come true thanks to bowls: winning gold medals and obtaining the promise of a job in the army. “It was my goal to become world champion,” the shy young man, originally from Sukhothai, told AFP, who trains nearly seven hours a day for the competition.
His prowess earned him a scholarship to study at a university in Bangkok, with the prospect of joining the air force upon leaving, like other talented bowlers before him.
Pétanque sprouted in Thailand thanks to public institutions and organizations that support the best athletes, most often from rural and poor provinces.
Thanks to the title bonuses, at the rate of 300,000 bahts per gold medal (or 7,700 euros), that the State pays to her son whom she raised alone, Kanta Khamdee, aged 45, confides that she “can pay (her) mortgage”. “You have to seize the opportunity when it presents itself,” emphasizes Ratchata’s mother when talking about her success, but as she often tells her: “No matter the result, I will always be by your side.”
With three gold medals, Thailand finished the last pétanque world championships, last September in Benin, at the top of the ranking of the most successful countries, ahead of France.
Royal involvement and support of the army
The South-East Asian kingdom notably won for the first time the men’s triples event, the most prestigious format of the competition.
Between 30,000 and 40,000 people are registered with the clubs, but the number of leisure practitioners is much higher, according to a leader of the National Federation.
Local legend associates Princess Srinagarindra, grandmother of the current monarch Rama practice boules, advocating its health benefits and low cost.
This royal involvement today explains the commitment of the police and the army, deemed loyal to the monarchy, who employ most of the champions in conditions sufficiently flexible to let them train and participate in tournaments.
The prospect of stable work offers additional motivation to aspiring players who discovered pétanque at school or through word of mouth.
Several times world champion, Nantawan Fuangsanit grew up in a family of rice farmers in the isolated province of Phichit. “I support my family financially. They are much more comfortable than before,” explains the 29-year-old young woman, employed by the air force.
“Be the champions”
Every Thai champion is equipped with equipment “made in Thailand”, because the kingdom is home to one of the rare pétanque ball manufacturing factories located outside of France and approved by the International Federation.
In the suburbs of Bangkok, 17 workers assemble, weld, polish and engrave the balls, from a metal alloy imported from China, Taiwan or Japan. The factory can produce up to 400 balls per day.
In one of the Thai Federation’s training centers, around fifteen teenagers are preparing for the junior world championships organized in Bangkok at the end of November. The studious atmosphere is dominated by the sound of colliding steel balls.
“I want to become a police officer. I like pétanque but I also want to have a job,” says Saharat Aramros, 13 years old.
The preparation includes a little weight training and a protein-based diet to maintain the effort over time, explains his trainer Taloengkiat Pusa-ard. “I have to admit that the French are the strongest (…) but my goal is to be the champions!”