Madagascar Pétanque Team Names 4 for Worlds
SPORT · MADAGASCAR
Key Facts
- —The country Madagascar is an Indian Ocean island nation with a long record in pétanque, the French-origin precision boules game.
- —Why it matters The squad will chase a third men’s triples world title, after wins in 1999 and 2016, at a championship in Thailand.
- —Why now The squad was announced on Wednesday 14 October, about five weeks before the championship opens on 20 November.
- —What happened The federation named four home-based players after selection trials: Liva, Baloty, Tendry and Lova. No expatriate player made the cut.
- —The numbers 52nd men’s triples world championship, 20 to 24 November, four players, and a three-week closed camp in Antsirabe.
- —What it means for US readers A niche but global sport, with the world championship in Thailand; spectator details are on the organiser’s site.
- —Still open Which three players start, how the group draw falls, and whether the debated fourth-player pick pays off.
The Madagascar pétanque team for the men’s triples world championship in Thailand was named on Wednesday 14 October. The Fédération Sport Boules Malagasy (FSBM) picked four players, all based at home, for the event that opens on 20 November.
The squad is Olivier Rakotomanana, known as Liva, Baloty Ramanantiaray, Tendry Fanjamanovofifaliana and Lova Rakotoarisoa. Newsmada published the list on Thursday 15 October, and L’Express de Madagascar ran the same four names.
Madagascar is chasing a third world title in the discipline, after wins in 1999 and 2016. Newsmada counts ten years since the 2016 victory, which came at home in Antananarivo.
How the Madagascar Pétanque Team Was Chosen
The FSBM ran trials at the Ankatso boulodrome before naming the squad. Newsmada counts four days of trials and L’Express five.
National technical director Juan Éric Rakotondralambo announced the result on Wednesday evening, according to L’Express. Newsmada says the workshops covered pointing, shooting, technical drills and behavioural observation.
Liva topped the ranking for his position, Newsmada says. Tendry placed among the best in points, the shooting rally, doubles shooting and the behavioural tests.
The squad has no expatriate player, and L’Express headlines it as a team that is 100% local. Newsmada calls it “la sélection de la rupture”, meaning a break with the past.
Three players from the Décines club and one who plays in Mauritius were eliminated during the selection process, L’Express says. Christian Andriantseheno, nicknamed Racle, went out in the first phase.
Newsmada notes that three of the 2024 vice-world champions, Zigle, Yves and Christian Andriantseheno, are not in the squad. That team lost the final in Dijon to Italy.
The Four Players and Their Records
Liva, the pointer, played at the 2021 world championship and is the current national triples champion, according to both outlets. He won that title alongside Tendry.
Baloty, who plays in the middle for the club PAC, was runner-up in the 2025 world singles. L’Express adds that he took bronze in the 2025 world doubles.
Tendry, the main shooter, won the national doubles and triples titles this season. L’Express says he was also a world youth champion in 2017.
Lova, the fourth player, was the 2025 world mixed doubles champion in Rome. Both outlets also credit him with winning the 2025 La Marseillaise world tournament.
Newsmada reports that Lova’s place drew questions, with some critics saying the workshop results alone should have decided the squad. Defenders point to his international experience and his record under pressure.
L’Express calls him a strategic fourth player and says he was the second-best shooter in the evaluation tests. Newsmada adds that none of the four has played a world triples together, and none was in the Dijon team.
Madagascar’s Record at the World Championships
The FIPJP winners table for the men’s triples confirms Madagascar’s gold medals in 1999 and 2016, silver in 2007, 2010 and 2024, and bronze in 2002. The same table also shows a silver in 1982, which Newsmada’s list omits.
The International Federation of Petanque and Provençal Games (FIPJP) lists the 52nd Men’s Triples World Championship from 20 to 24 November at Khon Kaen University. The Thai Petanque Federation organises it, together with the 17th World Precision Shooting Championship.
L’Express gives 25 November as the final day, but the federation’s own notice says 24 November. The federation date is the one that counts.
After a week of rest, the players go into a closed training camp in Antsirabe for the final three weeks, L’Express says. It quotes federation president Julio Édouard Adrien Andrianirina on that plan.
What It Means for US Readers
Few US readers follow pétanque, but the world championship is a global event run by the FIPJP. The organiser’s website, named in the federation’s notice, carries the programme.
Khon Kaen is a city in north-eastern Thailand, and the matches are on the university campus. Spectator arrangements should be checked on the organiser’s site.
This is a rare sporting item from an island more often in the news for politics and the economy. For the political background, see Madagascar Explained: Who Rules After the 2025 Takeover and What Comes Next.
What Is Not Known
Neither outlet prints the full trial scores, so the margins between the players are unknown. Neither says which three players will start the first match.
The sources disagree on the length of the trials and on some honours, such as Liva’s African zone title. Those details are the outlets’ accounts, not confirmed records.
The draw, the opponents and the match schedule were not available at the time of writing. The organiser’s own website was not checked for the programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is in Madagascar’s squad?
The four players are Liva Rakotomanana, Baloty Ramanantiaray, Tendry Fanjamanovofifaliana and Lova Rakotoarisoa. All four play in Madagascar.
When and where is the championship?
The FIPJP lists the 52nd Men’s Triples World Championship from 20 to 24 November at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. The Thai Petanque Federation is the organiser.
How many world titles has Madagascar won in men’s triples?
The FIPJP winners table shows two, in 1999 and 2016. It also lists silver medals in 1982, 2007, 2010 and 2024 and a bronze in 2002.
Why was the choice of Lova debated?
Some critics told Newsmada that only the workshop results should have decided the squad. Supporters cite his world mixed doubles title and his record under pressure.
Does the squad include players based abroad?
No, both outlets say the squad is entirely home-based. Three players from the Décines club and one from Mauritius were eliminated during selection, according to L’Express.
Sources: Newsmada, Pétanque, Mondial triplette 2026: la sélection de la rupture (15 October 2026); L’Express de Madagascar, Pétanque, Mondial: un quatuor 100% local; FIPJP, notice on the world championships in Khon Kaen; FIPJP, men’s triples winners table.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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