Are you going to walk away or are you going to show up? In other words, will the 49th Petanque World Championships, scheduled for 16-19 July in Prilly Lausanne (Switzerland), in turn be taken off the 2020 agenda? While the coronavirus crisis has already forced many organisers to give up, with death in their souls, Christian Cosandey, president of the event, doesn't want to (yet) lose his head. For the time being, there are no plans to cancel the event...

While the situation is improving in China, the WHO on Friday raised its assessment of the risk of spreading Covid-19 to "very high", the highest level. 52 countries are now affected worldwide. On Friday 13 March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the European continent had become the centre of the global pandemic of the new coronavirus. As a symbol in France, the Eiffel Tower (Paris) remained closed, as did many museums, while the government announced that all gatherings of 100 people or more were banned. Governments around the world are taking increasingly drastic measures to contain Covid-19.

The FIPJP wishes the affiliated federations and their sports leaders, these numerous licensed players as well as their family members, a good vintage and a good year 2020. We wish you already a lot of success during the next Petanque & Boules Sport events. May the year 2020 be sprinkled with bursts of joy, petals of happiness, may it be lit by the flame of love and the spark of friendship. Happy New Year !