MERVILLE / RONCHIN - Two young French billiard girls are celebrating a special birthday today. In the midst of the Corona crisis, without big parties among friends, in an early summer without tournaments and matches, Kozoom spoke shortly with two young billiards talents: Aurore Bellens, who turns 28 today and Lucie Petit, turning 18 today. Two pearls on the crown of French billiards.
Aurore Bellens is a singer in a band with many performances, Lucie Petit only loves billiards. Aurore is working with statistics, Lucie spends her days at high school. Lucie won two French titles by team, Aurore three individual titles in free game.
Happy birthday, girls, to start the interview!!
Name: Aurore Bellens
Age: 28 today
Lives in: Merville/France
School/work: Work, statistician
Billiards club: Ronchin
Best success: French champion in 2010, 2015, 2018
Name: Lucie Petit
Age: 18 today
Lives in: Soissons
School/work: high school
Billiards club: Soissons, in the heights of France
Best success: French champion by team
The two French billiard girls at the European championship
Kozoom questions to both of you:
Kozoom/Frits Bakker: 1 Happy birthday to both of you, how did you celebrate your day?
Aurore Bellens: At home, with a good cake, being in containment.
Lucie Petit: Thank you, at home with my family.
2 How does it feel for you without the sport that you like: no matches, no practice?
Lucie Petit: Without the sport I love, I feel very sad.
Aurore Bellens: It feels like a break, like holidays. I miss my friends. We spend time together outside billiards now.
3 What are your main goals in billiards when it starts again?
Aurore Bellens: Have a great level and win competitions.
Lucie Petit: My goals are to progress more and more.
4 How popular is billiards among young players where you live?
Aurore Bellens: Billiards is popular for player's children who come with their school. It's cool. My little cousin Timéo plays billiards too.
Lucie Petit: Nowadays, it is very weak.
5 The French federation is really promoting billiards in classic games, is it not?
Aurore Bellens: Yes, it's difficult at this moment, but there is a lot of communication.
Lucie Petit: Yes, our federation helps a lot.
6 Do you have a personal trainer or coach?
Aurore Bellens: No, but I can ask for advice in my club. Jean-Francois Forent and Brahim Djoubri are in my club, I can learn from them.
Lucie Petit: Yes, I have.
7 Who inspired you, and at what age, to start a billiard career?
Lucie Petit: The one who inspired me is my brother, Jason Petit, because he was a master, I started at the age of eight.
Aurore Bellens: I started billiards when I was 8. My father organized a training camp for children and I wanted to try. I never stopped.
8 Which is your favourite discipline? How many French titles did you win?
Aurore Bellens: Free game I like the most. I won three French title in this discipline.
Lucie Petit: My favourite discipline is carambole, I won 2 French titles by team.
9 Who are your favourite players to watch, male and female?
Aurore Bellens: I love to watch Magali Declunder. She has an incredible technic. But also Jean-Francois Florent. He was my coach when I started.
Lucie Petit: My favourite players are my brother, my teacher and many others.
10 Do you have other hobbies other than playing billiard?
Aurore Bellens: I love singing. I have a band, we have a show: 'La revue de l'Orphéon.' We play 30 dates in 3 months, every year. I love it!
Lucie Petit: Billiards is my only hobby.
11 If you could make a wish for your birthday: what would you like the most of all?
Lucie Petit: The wish I would like the most to make is to bring back a person very dear to me, who accomopanied me to all my competitions.
Aurore Bellens: Now, I just wanted that all my family and my friends stay healthy. And that this pandemic disappears. But in normal times, I would like the very most of all to live from music.
Thank you girls, have a great day.
Aurore Bellens, not only billiards, also singer in a band
Lucie Petit: my only love is billiards
Aurore Bellens, three French titles in free game