Like his little brother Félix, Alexis Lebrun inaugurated a table tennis room in his name. The town of Puiseux-en-France (Val-d'Oise) welcomed the 10th player in the world for this event. A time for discussion and sharing with the young people of the club.
“Salle Alexis Lebrun”, we can now read outside the table tennis hall in Puiseux-en-France, in Val d'Oise. “It’s something that touches me enormously. It’s a great pride to say that there is a room in my name. It’s something that is registered and that doesn’t move,” smiles Alexis Lebrun.
Arriving straight from Marseille, where he witnessed the victory of his favorite club in the Champions League, Alexis Lebrun will leave directly after the inauguration for Chengdu, in China and the Mixed World Cup. But before that, two hours of presence for the young people and volunteers of the Puiseux club. “It’s also a great room, very beautiful. I had seen it on video but now seeing it in real life is nice.” After the inauguration of Félix Lebrun's room last year in Saint-Christol-lès-Alès in the Gard, it's the big brother's turn to have one.
Photos on the walls
As soon as he entered the room, all the young people came around him to take some photos. Then ten minutes of speech with the president of the club, the mayor of the city. A club jersey is offered to him. “With this t-shirt with his name on it, Alexis Lebrun will be able to compete with the club,” laughs Jean-Pierre Lassaux, the president. “When we were told that they wanted to call the room like that, we immediately said to ourselves that it was cool, and that it was still something nice,” summarizes Alexis Lebrun. Because this is the first time that the Montpellier resident has set foot in the commune of Puiseux-en-France. “It’s not very far from the airport,” laughs Alexis.
It was a former club player, Sandra, now based in Montpellier, who made this proposal to the Lebrun family. His father, still at the Puiseux club, initiated the construction of this room in 1999.
But ultimately, the Lebrun imprint is very present in the enclosure. On the walls, recent photos of Félix and Alexis Lebrun competing. But above all, a familiar young face attracts attention. This is the portrait of Stéphane Lebrun, the father, when he was 16 years old. “It's not bad. My mother sent it to me as soon as it arrived. It's quite nice. It's cool”, Alexis smiles, looking at her. “That means that the room has quite a bit of history. It’s an old club, it’s funny.”
Some exchanges with the children
For long minutes, Alexis Lebrun took part in the game of signings and photos, where around a hundred people, young and old alike, were able to enjoy being able to rub shoulders with the champion. “People congratulate me, in general it's very nice. From time to time, they tell me little anecdotes. 'I was there at that tournament. I saw you there, I saw you here', it's always nice to remember that, they're pretty good memories.”
Then it's time for a game session, at the table, with the children of the club. “The goal is going to be to make them enjoy it, to try to make as many rallies as possible. I'm not going to send my best serves, we're going to try to make everyone enjoy it.” After a few exchanges, ultimately, few points won. “I'm losing everything there. It's not going well. I'm going to make up for it,” laughs Alexis Lebrun, after taking a nice scratch from a youngster from the club. A good moment of sharing. “We try to give back a little bit as best we can. Because obviously we can’t do it all the time. But it’s super cool and it’s a pleasure.”
