Image of the Week
The Games return
12 Sep 2022
On a glorious Saturday in September, 500 people turned out to take part in the ITER Games, which were back after a three-year hiatus.
When in Provence ... The game of pétanque has been popular since the second half of the 19th century in this part of France. Today, there are over 300,000 card-holding members of the "Fédération Française de Pétanque et Jeu Provençal."
Just a few kilometres from the ITER site, the town of Vinon-sur Verdon (pop. 4,000) is a sun-dappled Provençal village, complete with a vast tree-lined square, pétanque pitches, and a river that originates in the southern French Alps.
In short, a perfect place to host the ITER Games—the annual sporting event that attracts ITER employees and contractors, their families, and local sportsmen and women. The 2022 edition, back after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus, attracted 500 participants for a day of friendly competition in a wide range of disciplines (soccer, running, mountain biking, paddling, tennis and ... pétanque), as well as activities and games for children and an outdoor lunch at long tables.
Thanks to the ITER Organization and local organizing committee, the 2022 edition was a success. Planning is already underway for a special event to be held next year to celebrate 10 years of the ITER Games.