Sad news. Victim of a heart attack on Tuesday in training with his amateur club, TOAC Toulouse (N2, 4th div.), and in a coma since, the former French international Ludovic Vaty died this Friday, at 34, as reported by the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) and its agent, Olivier Mazet. “Like all the rest of the France group, I was particularly shocked to learn this terrible news. Ludovic, with Nicolas Batum, was an essential player within a generation 88-89 which marked the history of French basketball”, declares the president Siutat, remembering that Vaty won European gold twice with the French youth teams (U16 in 2004 and U18 in 2006), before taking bronze at the U19 World Cup in 2007.
Member of the France A team at Euro 2009 and the 2012 Olympics, MVP and winner of the Leaders Cup with Gravelines in 2013, the native of Abymes also wore the colors of Pau and Orléans before being forced to hang up , at age 24, due to cardiovascular disease. “Following his career break, the Federation had the opportunity to support him as part of a retraining project that he was sketching out at the time, says Mr. Siutat. He had invested in coaching and had joined the staff of the France U18 team in 2014. (…) We all know how important basketball was for him. Within the French team, here in Jakarta, many of us have rubbed shoulders with him. We all remember a man with immense talent on the pitch and great kindness off it. Today we have a thought for his family and loved ones and send them our most sincere condolences.
