Cédric Angelier, when passion crosses borders

Some meetings make no noise at the time, but you understand later that they marked a turning point. Meeting Cédric Angelier was one of those.

We came across him at FBEP national competitions. One young player among many, on the face of it. But very quickly, something stood out. An intensity, an almost silent focus, a rare mix of natural talent and openly stated ambition. He was not simply playing to take part. He was playing to improve, to understand, to win.

For him, billiards has never been a pastime. It is a life path. The son of a player, he grew up around the tables, raised on competitions, technical conversations and hours of practice.

One story says a great deal about him. As a child, when he started playing, his sister, barely older, beat him every single time. Where others would have given up, he set himself a clear goal: to beat her. That first challenge, almost trivial, shaped his mindset. Behind that sibling duel, the competitor he would become was already taking shape.

The years have confirmed that determination. France selections, world and European titles, national finals… his record is that of a player who leaves nothing to chance.

But what moves us most, beyond the trophies, is his attitude. Cédric is ambitious without arrogance, hard-working without show. He has deep respect for the game, for his opponents, for the places that host him. He often teases his team-mates, always smiling, never touchy. He takes pressure, criticism and competition with rare maturity. He intends to win everything, of course. But above all, he wants to live fully from this passion, to spread it, to share it.

Our relationship grew naturally. His club in Guidel equipped itself with our Ball in Mind system, and he threw himself into it seriously.

What he values is being challenged all the time. Never settling into comfort. Always having something to work on, a detail to refine. He likes a framework that pushes you to go further. He likes the head-to-head too. Every challenge becomes a chance to watch, to learn, to draw inspiration. For him, progress comes through exchange and through collective drive.

Then came Morocco…

For a long time, Moroccan player friends living in France had been telling us about the incredible energy in the halls over there. They described places alive at every hour, a high standard, an almost electric passion. When Cédric decided to move there, we understood that this was not a parenthesis. It was a stage of his life.

He talks about Morocco with deep sincerity. He feels at home there. He is surrounded, appreciated, supported. He wants to build his future there, develop his projects, start his family. His attachment to the country is not opportunistic, it is heartfelt.

Agreeing to travel to Rabat was both an obvious step and a gamble. Obvious for the enthusiast who wants to see with his own eyes what billiards means in another country. A gamble for the business owner who senses that a threshold can be crossed.

For five days, we lived a total immersion. At the Clearance Club, Cédric opened the doors of his Moroccan daily life to us. The welcome went beyond anything we could have imagined. We were not simply visitors. We were received with generosity, with warmth, with respect. The halls were full from morning until the heart of the night. Music echoed, the tables never emptied, the crowd followed the matches with infectious fervour.

What struck us was how professional the venues were. Filmed tables, screens everywhere, interactive systems, teams organised around the events. Videographers, community managers, technicians, established players, young talents… everyone has a role. Billiards is taken seriously. It is staged. It is valued. At times there were thirty people around a table, playing, commenting, cheering. Matches were streamed live, followed, analysed. You can feel a collective ambition, a determination to grow this sport.

When we set up Ball in Mind, the reaction was immediate. Players wanted to try it, to understand it, to take each other on. For five days, the system lived to the rhythm of challenges and tournaments. The Moroccan energy matches perfectly the spirit we stand for: play, healthy competition, friendly rivalry, sharing.

Seeing our solution working in that setting, seeing players take hold of it with such enthusiasm, was a powerful moment. At that instant, we measured how far we had come. Personally, we felt immense pride. Being there, in Morocco, with a project born of passion, was like a quiet marker of the work accomplished.

We were impressed by the constant turnout, by the range of levels, by that permanent fervour. And above all, we came back energised. Wanting to create more, to take part in major events, to step up internationally.

Today, it is with conviction that we announce that Cédric Angelier is officially joining the Ball in Mind Team. He will represent the brand in competition, on his social media, in the Moroccan halls and beyond. He will carry our vision with the same standards he brings to his own game. This partnership is not a formality. It is the start of an adventure we intend to build over the long term.

That trip reminded us of something essential. Billiards has no borders. Passion travels, is handed on, reinvents itself from one country to the next. In Rabat as in Brittany, around a table, you find the same focus, the same tension, the same smile after a fine shot.

With Cédric, a new chapter opens for Ball in Mind. A chapter turned towards the international scene, but still anchored in the values that have carried us from the start: work, respect, collective energy and love of the game. And in the end, what we lived through over those five days comes down to one simple sentence: when passion is genuine, it naturally crosses borders.

World champion with the France U18 team (FFB)
Nations champion with the France U23 team (FFB)

Several European podiums with the France U18, U23 and men’s teams
Third in the world with the France U25 team (FBEP)

French U18 runner-up (FFB)
French U18 champion (FBEP)
French N1 singles runner-up, 2023/2024 (FFB)
Selected for the France A team (FBEP) for the European and World Championships

Several team titles in DN2 and DN3