« The three values of Olympism are excellence, friendship and respect. They are the foundation on which the Olympic Movement bases its activities to promote sport, culture and education for a better world. »
The values of sport and Olympism are similar to those embodied in the concept of town twinning.
The Comité des Jumelages Angoulême – Villes Étrangères (CDJA) would like to take advantage of this unique opportunity to enable young athletes to take part in the « Twinning Eco-Games »: the athletics clubs of our twinned towns are invited to select 7 athletes who will travel to Angoulême (accompanied by their coach) from 8 to 13 July 2024.
The seven-day programme will highlight the issue of eco-responsible sport: how can environmental issues be integrated into the practice of sport? How can we organise sporting events that have the least impact on the environment? How can the waste generated by sport be recycled? How can we raise public awareness of these issues? These are just some of the issues discussed with the various players in local life (associations, local authorities, athletes, citizens, etc.).
Intercultural encounters and exchanges are of course central aspects of the project. Sport is the vehicle through which these young adults can explore the major issues facing the Europe of tomorrow.
The exchange will end with a friendly sporting event and a celebration of sport for all!
Who can take part in the Twinning Eco-games?
Most of the towns twinned with Angoulême will be represented: Saguenay (Quebec), Hoffman Estates (USA), Bury (England), Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain), Braga (Portugal), Hildsheim (Germany), Turda (Romania) and Angoulême (France).
Each invited country must select seven athletes aged between 18 and 22 and appoint a coach to accompany the team. Teams should preferably be mixed.
The participants must of course practise athletics, but also be sensitive to environmental issues.
Motivation to share a unique experience with foreign athletes is also a prerequisite for taking part in this intercultural project.
What's on the programme for these days in Angoulême?
The programme has three main themes:
- Discovering the environmental issues involved in practising sport: meetings with experts in eco-responsible sport, managing the waste generated by practising sport, preserving biodiversity, etc.
- Discovering the cultural and tourist attractions of the region: visiting the town and surrounding area, discovering the cultural specificities, gastronomic specialities, etc.
- Practising sport: joint training sessions at the town’s stadium, meetings with top-level athletes, friendly sporting events, presentations by the Comité Départemental Olympique et Sportif, etc.
About the friendly sporting event
On Saturday 13 July, a friendly sporting event will bring together the various teams at the athletics stadium.
The 3 major athletics disciplines will be represented: running, jumping and throwing. Each team nominates one or more members for each event. Finally, the participants will compete in a relay race. Teams will score points according to their results in the various events, which will be used to establish a final ranking.
You are invited to wear the shirt of your sports club or town.
Do you have fewer than 7 athletes in your team? You can still take part! We will complete your team with athletes from other countries (France, Spain, etc.).
What is the sporting level of the expected athletes? The difficulty of the events will be adjusted according to the level of the participants. Don’t forget that the aim is to meet, learn and grow together!
Where will you be accommodated?
All participants will be accommodated in a school ( a high school) located on the outskirts of Angoulême, in a quiet setting that is ideal for outdoor activities.
Rooms have two or three beds.
Meals will be provided by a catering service.
A conference room will be made available to us.
What is covered?
For athletes from European countries (Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Romania):
As the project is supported by the European Agency Erasmus+, your travel, accommodation (board and lodging) and activity costs are covered at 100% (please contact us for more information on transport conditions).
For athletes from the American countries and England:
The CDJA will cover your local travel costs (to Angoulême), accommodation and meals, and activities (outings, visits, events).
You will only have to pay international travel costs.
Interested in taking part in the Twinning Eco-Games in Angoulême from 7 to 14 July 2024?
Registration is now open!
Are you an athlete from one of the countries involved (USA, Quebec, England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Romania, France) and aged between 18 and 22? You can take part in the project. Just contact us and we’ll put you in touch with the team manager in your country.
Are you a coach or in charge of an athletics club? Contact us to present your team.
If your team has less than 7 athletes, you can still take part!
Future schedule
February/March 2024: constitution of the teams that will come to Angoulême from 7 to 14 July 2024.
April/May 2024: several video meetings are planned with the coaches of each team to prepare for this event as well as possible.
International transport for the most distant participants (America) must be arranged as soon as possible to avoid additional costs.
Teams will be welcomed from Sunday 7 July. Activities will start on Monday 8 July. It is important for participants to be involved in the programme throughout the week. The sporting event will take place on the morning of Saturday 13 July. On July 13, everyone can join in the festivities to celebrate the French Bastille Day. Finally, accommodation must be vacated by late morning on Sunday 14 July.
Les ECO-Jeux des Jumelages : un projet labélisé « Olympiade Culturelle », porté par le Comité des Jumelages Angoulême – Villes Étrangères et soutenu par l’Agence Européenne Erasmus+ et l’agglomération du GrandAngoulême
