Thailand, the other country of Pétanque !
In Thailand, pétanque is an institution. In fact, it is the second most titled nation after France. A France 2 team went there to understand this craze. Just like in Marseille, pétanque in Bangkok is also a national sport. "I love pétanque, I've been playing it since I was five years old, at school, in temples, everywhere", confides a young woman on the France 2 microphone. In the land of smiles, pétanque is sacred. It is the queen mother herself who imported it from a stay on the French Riviera in the 50s. Today, the kingdom counts more than two million amateurs, and even little prodigies spotted on television...
A national craze
Some compete from a very young age. Moreover, the centre of Bangkok hosts the national championship, and the public is always there. "It's the most important competition in all of Thailand," says one amateur. And the champion is 29 years old. "Petanque has brought me everything. It's the sport that financed my studies. Petanque also gave me a family," explains Sarawut Sriboonpeng, world champion in triplettes. For these little steel balls, the craze is national. No wonder Thailand also makes them.
