“It’s hard to tell ourselves that we destroyed a gymnasium without building another.” Philippe Laperche, president of the Toulouse Basket Club, knows the Compans-Caffarelli gymnasium well, called the “little palace”. It is the working tool of its players who currently play in the third division of basketball.

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When the Toulouse club learned that its “den” was going to be transformed into a major real estate project by the town hall, many questions arose: “We would have liked to be consulted. We wonder where we will be able to play? We don’t have a lot of visibility at the moment.

A few months before the next season, the TBC does not know if it will be able to play in another room. The Léo Lagrange gymnasium, close to the district of Jean Jaurès, can ensure the interim, but it will require a new reorganization of the space. “We expect at least an upgrade. Léo Lagrange would have to be approved so that we can welcome our audience, ”confirms the president.

“It’s a shame to destroy without offering equivalent structures”

The destruction of the second gymnasium of the Palais des sports is a problem for many clubs. Toulouse Féminin Handball saw itself becoming the new resident of this hall. After very good results, the club can hope to move up to the second division, but without the “little palace”, it lacks a suitable ground.

“Our current gymnasium in Argoulets is too small, the large Palais des Sports is too big. The “little palace” was perfect. It was an ideal place. It’s a shame to destroy without offering equivalent structures, ”complains Rémi Chambelin, president of Toulouse Féminin Handball.

The room is ideal for developing clubs. The teams could still use the room until the second half of 2022, before the start of the work. After this period, the TMB and the TBC will go to Léo Lagrange (if the room is up to standard). The TIC will go to the Arnauné gymnasium.