Bernard Ponceblanc, a member of the IPCC Board, was honoured by the President of the French Republic with the National Order of the Legion of Honour.

Appointments to this order were made by decree of the President of the Republic on 1 January in the Journal Officiel. By this decree, Mr Bernard PONCEBLANC was promoted to Chevalier in the National Order of the Legion of Honour on 15 January 2025. Bernard PONCEBLANC has been involved in sport ever since he completed his secondary education at the Ecole Normale de Joinville. He began his professional career as a sports teacher at the Lycée Militaire d’Autun, before going on to become Director of Sports at several town halls (Le Creusot, Montceau-Les-Mines). As an athlete, he plays basketball, tennis, fencing and athletics. As a volunteer, he makes every effort to promote his vision of sport to his fellow citizens. He is convinced that participating in public roles can have a positive impact and help to promote the core values of sport.

Bernard PONCEBLANC has held various positions in a number of departmental committees, before setting up the Comité Départemental Olympique et Sportif de Saône-et-Loire, of which he has been chairman since 2001. He then became a member of the CNOSF, in charge of the CNOSF’s equipment commission, a delegate member of the CNSES (National Commission for the Safety of Sports Equipment and Events) for the Ministry of Sport, and a member of the French Pierre de Coubertin Committee and the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee. He is one of the founders of the Saône-et-Loire Games, which offer young boys and girls aged 10 to 15 the chance to take part in the ‘Olympic Games’ in the region: Saône-et-Loire. It offers the sport values and the vision of sport for all and by all. It opens the way for young athletes and non-athletes to enjoy an exceptional event, an extraordinary experience like the Olympic and Paralympic Games, even if it’s just at departmental level.

The Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur is a French institution which, under the aegis of the President of the Republic, the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Master, is responsible for awarding France’s highest distinction.

Created by the law of 19 May 1802, it is governed by the Legion of Honour Code. Awarded on the sole criterion of services rendered to the nation, it brings together men and women from all walks of life, both civilian and military, in accordance with its founder Napoleon Bonaparte’s desire for universality.