Sunday, June 29, 2025 in Rouen, the Pongist Antoine Hachard brought the decisive point to Montpellier to win the title of French team champion in Pro A, after several disillusions with Caen. He tells us about his season with the Lebrun brothers as a teammates.
As in a dream … who did not imagine, in his garden or in his room, scoring the goal of the World Cup final on a pass from Platini, Zidane, or Mbappé, according to the generations?
At 31, Antoine Hachard experienced the perfect scenario, the one that many young people dream of playing: being the hero of a final alongside the Lebrun brothers. Interview.
Antoine Hachard, well recovered from your emotions?
“It’s okay, but we celebrated it well. I knew that by signing in Montpellier, there was a good chance that we could play the title with the competitive team that we had. But it is the dream that has come true, because I performed all the season (eight defeats only for 16 victories, including perfs on numbers 12, 16, 18 and 21). It is incredible.”
And this decisive match in the final, 2-0 for Montpellier?
“It’s the best. I was ready for that in my head. I knew that the start of the match was going to be very important … Hennebont, they are led 2-0; to come back it is necessary to beat me, then twice the brothers (Lebrun), it’s a long journey. So when I pocketed the gain of the first set, it gave me a lot of confidence.”
Small stress before starting?
“Yes, there is necessarily stress. Afterwards, I think that we have prepared the match well, training in Le Havre with the same tables and the same balls as those planned for the final. And then, we had a lot of games in large rooms with many people, it happened twice to play in front of 5,000 people. We had this advantage compared to them to play in the public like that, with additional pressure. Champion’s League. “
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The Rouen room clearly vibrated for the Lebrun brothers and their Montpellier club.
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© F3 Normandies
The Kindarena de Rouen room was widely acquired in your cause, at the expense of the Bretons of Hennebont?
“Yes, we suspected a little with the craze that there is around the ping and the Lebrun brothers. And then, it’s a part of the French team, I think that people appreciate this in the development of the Montpellier club. It turned well as it should be in our favor.”
Precisely, tell us, what does it mean to play in a team with the Lebrun brothers?
“Frankly, it is a treat. They brought this fervor, this media coverage. They are a lot in demand, but we too. We see that people love the ping. It is the dream of any sporty, of any pongist, to see his sport grow up like that. I think he was undermediatal before, and there is something going on, there’s a crash them in club, and I take advantage every second. “
Report by Arthur Deshayes and Clémentine Baude:
Video duration: 00h01mn40s
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© France Télévisions
Is this title a revenge after the occasion failed in 2022 with the Caen TTC?
“Yes, because we deserved completely with Caen. It was another championship, with other teams, another scenario. We did not play the title at the base, but we had an incredible season. In the end, we lose on the wire. I had played this final, I had lost a close point, so there is nothing more horrible, I do not wish anyone. Mental I have.
And you’re going to find next season Caen, who goes back in, what are you waiting for?
“Yeah, I am regularly in contact with the team (Editor’s note: he played six seasons in a follow -up to Caen, between 2018 and 2024), the coach, the players, we are very close with Stéphane Ouaiche. I followed all their season. It is a club that deserves to be in pro a of course, it has nothing to do in pro B. I am super happy for them, very happy to go and replay there next season, it will be a good time whatever happens. “
What can you wish you for next season?
“A second title in Pro A, continue to perform so well as a team, have fun like that. And then the return to France of Simon Gauzy (French N3, he spent 12 years in Germany), it’s a great news, it’s a ping icon. In Hennebont, it will be a direct competitor with us, competition, we love it. It will be even more about the rooms. Great for the progress of the ping.
