French pétanque player, 81, arrested after rival, 68, killed with metal boule

An 81-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly killing a fellow pétanque player by striking him with a metal boule during a dispute in France.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at a boulodrome in the coastal resort of Mimizan on France's western coast.

The 68-year-old victim collapsed after suffering a blow to the head and was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Authorities believe he may also have suffered a heart attack following the altercation.

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Public prosecutor Alexa Dubourg, based in nearby Mont-de-Marsan, said: "Evidence pointed to the 81-year-old man striking the victim, who is deceased, with a pétanque boule."

The dispute reportedly erupted between two groups of players during a period of extreme heat.

One group usually played on the beach, while the other regularly used the town's purpose-built boulodrome.

Those who normally played by the sea moved to the shaded court to escape the soaring temperatures, sparking a confrontation.

Ms Dubourg told Sud Ouest the dispute centred on "the use of the boulodrome habitually frequented by one of the groups".

She described it as "an argument which degenerated into a physical confrontation".

According to one witness, the younger man threw punches before the elderly suspect allegedly struck him with the heavy metal ball.

Neither man has been publicly identified.

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The suspect has undergone alcohol and drug tests, while a post-mortem examination will determine the precise cause of the victim's death.

Investigators are continuing to establish the exact sequence of events and the role each man played in the confrontation.

Mimizan's deputy mayor, Daniel Pujos, said: "Someone from the town's boule club obviously could not accept the fact that those from the beach wanted to benefit from the shade of the boulodrome."

Pétanque is widely regarded as one of France's most traditional pastimes, often associated with leisurely afternoons, friendship and village life.

However, Mimizan has previously witnessed violence linked to the sport.

In 2021, a 52-year-old man was jailed for four years after stabbing a 25-year-old during an argument at the same venue.

Elsewhere, officials in the Gironde department have previously threatened to boycott championship qualifiers after an umpire was assaulted by an intoxicated competitor.

The French Pétanque Federation introduced mandatory alcohol breath tests at official tournaments in 2018, with the legal limit set at 0.5g per litre of blood - the same as France's drink-driving limit.

Players have claimed the threshold is regularly exceeded.

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