Comité Régional Olympique et Sportif Bretagne (CROS Bretagne)
After the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, The CROS Bretagne started to engage in the international sports exchange. It was and still is the hope of the director committee and its president, that sport could be useful to promote international cooperation and exchanges. In Brittany, certain regional leagues have already been used to receive foreign sports delegations, from Europe as well as other countries. The Breton leaders and followers have, for some of them, regarded the reception and the trips abroad as being an integral part of their sports approach. The "CROS Bretagne" encourages these initiatives, which valorizes the Breton sports and its dynamism.
The CROS Bretagne also wants BSI to be the tool in which to give more sportsmen/women the possibility of benefitting from exchanges with foreign partners, notably the Chinese partners. All the sports don't necessarily have the means, the connections, or the abilities to set up these projects. BSI will be here to help them, and allow them to benefit from the experience of the other sportsmen/women
Finally, the CROS want to show foreigners that the Breton sports movement has the capacity to organize great sports events with the know-how recognized in numerous technical domains. We can call upon these abilities within the framework of a decentralized and dynamic cooperation.
The "Conseil Régional de Bretagne"
Among the public policies of the Conseil Régional de Bretagne, international cooperation is one of the strongest. It includes decentralized cooperation, developement of relations with some European Union countries, as well as other countries. With Shandong, the cooperation has existed since 1985. The protocol signed at this time has included domains such as culture, education, economics and also sports.
The regional assembly places sport in a good position in the exchanges with China. At the origin, water sports were designed as the basis of the relations with Shandong, due to the particularity of both regions possessing a highly developed coastal façade. The twinning of Brest with Qindao is, in this respect, significant of the want of sharing the sea theme. The Brittany sailing league was, and still is, an essential participator of these exchanges, helped greatly by it’s technical executives of "Jeunesse et Sports".
The relations have been established by the reception of sportspersons, training, and some new projects will be formed in the future.
Beijing Olympic Games had an acceleration effect on these relations, particularly in the high-level sportspersons training.
For the past four years, the "Conseil Régional de Bretagne" has multiplied its interventions in the sports field. Its participation in the creation of BSI, marks an important stage in recognizing the dynamism of the Breton sports movement and the ambitions it conveys abroad.
With sport, the region wants to dynamize the Breton practicing’s and volunteers, and valorize the image of Brittany.
"Direction régionale et départementale de la Jeunesse et des Sports de Bretagne-Ille et Vilaine (DRDJS of Brittany)
The "DRDJS of Brittany" got involved in the wake of the twinning existing between the two provinces, via water sports activity. During the last four years, Brittany’s dominant sports disciplines played a very important role in sports relations’ development with Shandong. In additional, other sports disciplines have progressively been included.
The "DRDJS of Brittany" also wants to promote the Breton expertise, recognized in fields such as the building and engineering of sports facilities, making good use of facilities, technical sports executives training programs, the medical follow-up of high level sportspersons and the combat against drug use.
This Breton expertise is demonstrated within the team of DRDJS, in particular, thanks to those sports techniques counselors (cadre technique sportif, CTS), who work very closely with regional leagues.
Cycling CTS, athletics CTS, sailing CTS, riding CTS, UFOLEP, has already been in China for training sessions, accompaniment of teams or even on the spot technical advice. The accompaniment of a group of 41 young Bretons for a trip in Shandong in summer 2008 was assured by technical counselors of the DRDJS.
With the experience of BSI, the "direction Jeunesse et Sports de Bretagne" wants to valorize all the Breton know-how, numerous and varied in: outdoor sports, sports tourism, numerous water sports, such as sailing, wind-surfing as well as more rare sports like sub-aquatic hockey. Also, within the field of medical research, innovative initiatives in sports and health fields, particularly with specific publics.
The strength of sport, particularly in France, is used to facilitate the partnership with foreign countries and to make sport accessible for all, including the more remote. They benefit from other rewards, such as experience and social integration, as well as culturally. The youth exchanges, especially international exchanges, are an educational key that the DRDJS want to promote for all young people, athletic or not.