Tunisia distinguished itself at the U23 Lyon boules world championships held in Mersin, Turkey, winning two bronze medals thanks to Oussama Balti, brilliant in both individual and doubles with his compatriot Raed Karoui.
A promising performance in Mersin
During the semi-final of the individual event, Oussama Balti lost to the Montenegrin Gracija Stiapcevic (0-13), after a solid course marked by convincing victories over the Honduran Jose Fernando Sanchez (13-4) and the Croatian Lovro Sipex (13-12) in the group stage, then over the Slovenian Jaka Stremfel (10-9) in quarter-final. This performance earned him a bronze medal, the second of the tournament for Tunisia.
A few hours earlier, Balti had already won a first medal with his teammate Raed Karoui in the doubles event. The Tunisian tandem stopped in the semi-final, beaten by the Croatian duo Filip Claric and Lovro Sipek (2-13), after an excellent run in the competition.
A rising generation
The Tunisian participation, driven by young talents, confirms the vitality of the Lyon ball in the country. In the U18 category, Yahia Sellami also defended the national colors but stopped in the quarter-finals of the combined event.
These results mark a good harvest for the Tunisian delegation, which leaves Mersin with two bronze medals and the promise of a competitive next generation on the world stage.
