The two Malagasy teams on a summer tour in France are taking turns winning. The trio of Lova, Baloty, and Bondy claimed the trophy in Chalon-sur-Saône.
In a display of dominance, the boulistes from the Great Island have been shining and impressing since their return to the French summer tour last year. The two teams fielded this year by the Malagasy Boules Sports Federation (FSBM) have just achieved a feat by winning the last three tournaments they contested.
This weekend, the triplet consisting of Lova Satamandimby Rakotoarisoa, Faralahy Urbain Joseph Ramanantiaray (known as “Baloty”), and Steph James “Bondy” Rakotonirina brilliantly snatched the trophy at the 47th National Open Top 1000 in Chalon-sur-Saône. On Sunday evening, the trio dominated their opponents, David Laleuf, Frédéric Pailheret, and Léo Bernard, with a score of 13-3. Lova and Baloty finished the match in style with two spectacular winning shots. In the semi-finals, the first team from the Great Island had eliminated the triplet composed of Romain Zimmermann, Abdel Kader Djanti, and Jean Pfeiffer.
The two Malagasy triplets had to face each other in the quarter-finals following the draw. The journey of the team led by Tiana Laurens Razanadrakoto (known as “Tonnerre”), along with Tafita Angelo Andriamahandry and Jean Mickaël Ratolojanahary, ended at that stage after their victory in the round of 16 against the Mantoux team. The finalist team of Laleuf had eliminated the team of Malagasy pointer Christian Randriantseheno (known as “Racle”), alongside Laurent Dumont and Jean Michel Puccinelli, in the semi-finals.
The previous weekend, the second team formed by Tonnerre, Tafita, and Mika won the National Open Top 1000 in Charleville-Mézières after a suspenseful final on September 6, defeating the Lova, Baloty, and Bondy team in an all-Malagasy duel with a close score of 13-11. A week earlier, Lova’s group, the 2025 Masters runners-up, had secured the National du Bron trophy on August 30. The country’s boulistes have reached the final stages of almost all summer tournaments, which are now nearing their end.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-15 05:53:47 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/petanque-madagascar-enchaine-trois.html