Mondial la Marseillaise de pétanque

(c) Mondial La Marseillaise à Pétanque

Le Mondial la Marseillaise a Pétanque is an international tournament of pétanque. It is held every year in July in Marseille, the biggest city in the south of France. The central location of the event is in the Parc Borély, but it now extends to many other parks and boulodromes in and around the city. In 2016, the 55th Mondial attracted around 15,000 participants and 150,000 spectators.[1]

The Mondial was first held in July 1961 with the support of the daily newspaper La Marseillaise, after which the event is named.[2] Almost from the beginning it was strongly suppored by Paul Ricard, the founder of Ricard, the company famous for the Ricard brand of pastis. For many years Michel Montana has been Président de l'association du Mondial La Marseillaise à Pétanque and the guiding spirit behind the event.

Note that the name of the even is Mondial "à" Pétanque, not Mondial "de" Pétanque. The word "pétanque" comes from the provençal expression à pèd tanca which means "on planted feet". In French, one says "on planted feet" (à pieds planté) just as one says "on one's knees" (à genoux). So the name of the event is Mondial "à" Pétanque— not Mondial "de" Pétanque.[3]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mondialapetanque.com/, the official website of the event
  2. ↑ http://www.mondialapetanque.com
  3. ↑ http://www.20minutes.fr/marseille/1641347-20150628-pourquoi-faut-parler-mondial-petanque-petanque, Pourquoi il faut parler du Mondial « à » Pétanque et pas « de » Pétanque


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