The new administrative and organisational headquarters of the German Pétanque Association (DPV) will be built in Rodgau. The location will also play a central sporting role. Pétanque is a precision sport and the best-known variant of the game of boules. The city of Rodgau and the association have already set the first milestone for this project: The foundation stone for future co-operation was laid with the signing of a joint letter of intent. The German Pétanque Association (DPV) is the national umbrella organisation for the sport of pétanque in Germany. The regional associations and over 800 clubs, in which almost 30,000 members are active, are organised under its umbrella. More than half of these have a licence and regularly take part in official competitions. The DPV organises national matches, hosts German championships, is responsible for training coaches and referees and coordinates talent and performance development. It also represents the sport in dealings with politicians, sports organisations and international associations. The decision in favour of Rodgau as the new headquarters is the result of local development. There are already two active boules clubs in Rodgau, which have characterised the sport locally for years. The Rodgau Boule Club in particular has sought dialogue with the town at an early stage with several initiatives and actively introduced the topic of pétanque. Regular joint discussions between clubs, the town and the association ultimately led to the idea of thinking beyond the local level and developing Rodgau as a possible central location. An area at the bathing lake is envisaged as a potential location, but not directly at the lido. This is a larger area of farmland that has already been discussed for other projects in the past. A new hall is planned there, which will enable a wide range of events to be organised at national and international level, including European championships, world championships and German championships. In the future, half of the German championships are to be organised in Rodgau. Regular national cups and international tournaments are also planned. The location will be available to the Hessian Pétanque Association for its own tournament and match weekends. Compared to Gersweiler or Düsseldorf, Rodgau will have a significantly larger and more efficient concept with 32 indoor and 32 outdoor courts (64 courts in total). For international championships, 32 indoor lanes are required, for German championships up to 64 lanes. Rodgau is to become a central hub for the sport of pétanque in Germany, improve accessibility for clubs and regional associations and strengthen cohesion. Sustainability is also a key concern: pétanque conserves resources and the hall is to be energy-efficient and largely self-sufficient, inspired by French models. In addition, the sealing of the area is to be minimised and existing ground structures largely preserved.
