The Solibad Team

Raphaël Sachetat is a freelance journalist and photographer. Having been involved in the non-profit sector from a young age (Amnesty International), he is now a journalist at Les Echos - Week End, where he covers new technologies and features impact entrepreneurs. He also follows the professional badminton circuit (he is the founder of the International Federation's photographic agency) and has initiated numerous projects within the badminton community (creating Badzine, a network of multilingual news websites; he also worked as a "Photo Manager" at the London and Paris 2024 Olympic Games). Solibad is an opportunity for him to combine his two passions.

His motto, which became that of Solibad: "Do things seriously, without taking yourself too seriously"

Leslie Doumerc is a freelance journalist, currently based in Brussels after spending two years in Montreal, following a stint in Norway. A badminton enthusiast—but a jack-of-all-trades—she approaches her journalism with as much curiosity as open-mindedness—and a keen ear: she's a radio host and a sound aficionado. Above all, she loves good ideas and is always on the lookout for new programs for the Association. She's the driving force behind the soundtrack for Solibad's title track, to be released in mid-2018... She was one of the very first to join the adventure.

Loic Meuriot joined the team very soon after the association's creation and also threw himself wholeheartedly into the project. A trained video journalist, self-employed, and a certified badminton coach, he brought his perspective and skills as a journalist and editor to help us create a vibrant showcase for Solibad, with humor but also great professionalism. He is always present at key events and provides valuable insight into Solibad's overall strategy. His advice is always sound and heeded during important decisions. He has also been Vice-President of Solibad since April 2013.

Olivier Duband is a young communications professional. His specialty: video. Self-taught and passionate, he spends countless hours behind the camera and computer, whether filming, editing, or creating graphic animations and logos. Wanting to combine his passions for badminton and video, he enthusiastically joined the Solibad team from the very beginning. Full of ideas – he was responsible for the early days of the "Bad Show" with his partner Polo Nginn, as well as many other events since – Olivier became the association's vice-president in April 2013. He is also involved in the upcoming music video for Solibad's song, due for release in mid-2018. Always ready with a joke, he is an essential part of the Solibad team.

Marc Desnos officially joined the Solibad team in 2023 as Head of Human Resources. He manages the volunteers and civic service programs, demonstrating great care and dedication to ensuring everyone feels welcome at Solibad. A father of three accomplished badminton players, he is also the President of the Bry-sur-Marne club, the oldest Solibad club, which, since the initial partnership signed in 2010, has contributed year after year to providing additional resources for our programs. He, too, has now become a pillar of our organization.

Yves Lacroix is an active retired archivist in Quebec. He knows the world of badminton inside and out, knows all the big names on the circuit - from officials to top players, and travels the world with his camera to immortalize the stars for the Badmintonphoto Agency.

It was therefore quite natural that he joined the Solibad team, whose admirable values of solidarity and empathy he shares, and he never misses an opportunity to help the team, acting as a key liaison, particularly for the Solibad Days in North America. Fun fact – he owns the only car in the world with "SOLIBAD" license plates.

Taking over from Marina in 2023, Kim joined our team with great enthusiasm, bringing her professional accounting skills which she immediately put to use for Solibad. A mother of three daughters – two of whom compete at the highest level in French badminton – she has an in-depth understanding of the badminton ecosystem and has given our programs a real boost through her time and unwavering commitment. In addition to her genuine empathy for our beneficiaries, whom she supports with far more than just numbers...

Sandrine joined the team after a partnership with an association she founded, "Bulles d'Espoir" (Bubbles of Hope). She was quickly drawn into the prevailing optimism before officially joining the board in 2015 as assistant treasurer. She wears many hats: a teacher in Normandy, she left France to manage a support organization for children with difficulties in Switzerland. She is the communications manager for the French Federation of Adapted Sports. An artist, she paints, draws, and has set up a small publishing house to help children talk about differences. She coordinates several projects with Solibad in Nepal and India. Her boundless energy and good humor have made her indispensable to the organization. And of course, she's a badminton player too...

Benjamin joined the team in 2014, initially offering his services as regional coordinator. His ideas quickly resonated with the board, and all his achievements and the local partnerships he forged breathed new life into the association. Always ready to lend a hand, he soon found himself drawn into the Executive Committee. As a social worker, he is deeply involved in societal debates in his daily work, and as such, provides invaluable advice for the association's collective decisions. Particularly dedicated, he also took over the management of the online store before handing it over to Marie Christine, but he still manages our online shop website. And he does so with humility and immense kindness.

Her time at Solibad as a civic service volunteer in 2022 brought an incredible boost of organization and dynamism. Since then, Manon has caught the Solibad "bug" and officially joined the team on its Executive Council, naturally possessing a thorough understanding of our Association's programs and structure. She took over the position of secretary in 2024, a role previously held by Colette.

Marie-Christine has been with Solibad since its inception, first as a dedicated volunteer, then as a full-fledged member of the management team for the past few years. A skilled player, she manages the Solibad shop and handles orders and shipments of our merchandise – an incredible amount of management and organization, which she tackles with her good humor and meticulousness. An indispensable member of the team, she can also be found regularly staffing our booths far and wide.

Pi Hongyan is also the founder of Solibad. Involved from the very beginning in the project's inception, she was a natural choice as the Association's patron, even while she was still playing badminton. A top-level player—former world number 2 and three-time Olympian—of Chinese origin, she moved to France in 2004. Her naturally curious and outgoing nature led her to connect with others, and she has always been a passionate supporter of the association. She is a dream ambassador, not only to her fellow players but also to institutional partners. And she has remained remarkably down-to-earth and incredibly generous! Now retired from badminton, she has various cultural and badminton teaching projects related to China, always with the aim of benefiting Solibad.