Devotees of the French sport of pétanque will now be able to enjoy a glass of pastis before a match again: The World Anti-Doping Agency is to remove alcohol from its list of prohibited substances for competitions.

Only the French, those masters of civilized living, could have invented the sport of pétanque. The game, a form of boules, involves throwing metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden jack, and can easily be played while smoking a Gauloise and drinking a glass of pastis.