Let’s root for Seychelles sports this season |04 January 2005

With no Olympic Games, still there will not be a shortage of content which  will be evenly distributed locally, regionally, continentally and on the world stage.

Some exciting prospects include the Jeux de la Francophonie  in Niger, the Jeux de la Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan indien  (CJSOI) in Reunion, different world championships in almost every sport and the possibility of local athletes receiving scholarships.

Like last year, sport is expected to generate a buzz across the country and as the clock ticks, tension will mount with a flurry of high-visibility match-ups.

As local sports fans will be in dire need of some dramatic tension, sportsmen and women will play a full schedule in 2005 to keep them on the edge of their seats.

Like during the past years, Seychellois athletes who performed well last year as well as those who didn’t, have something to prove to themselves and their fans this year.

As we expect the athletes to show no signs of deceleration in 2005, bold and good decisions will have to be made by sports administrators.

Should administrators continue to do just the bare minimum? Will they remove the dust from some old manuscripts containing beautiful programmes and put them to good use?

Will administrators have the advancement of sportsmen and women in mind and at heart when making decisions?

Sportsmen and women should take heart that not all sports administrators are the same. There are those who really take their work seriously, while others do not seem to be fully committed to what they are doing.

In  2005, we must unify our strength to work towards our common goal which is winning.

Sportsmen and women too have to be more professional in their approach to training and competitions as they all have a lot to look forward to this year.
There are a lot of things to be excited about. The fact that local competitions are as important as international ones, all athletes should double their determination to be ready to compete at their best level.
Below-par performances cannot find a place in our sports. Sports being about winners and losers, we can only comfort losers who have tried their very best, but not those who haven’t defended their clubs’ or country’s colours with verve and determination. Bad losers should also not feature in Seychelles sports.

Therefore, Seychellois athletes must be ready to face the challenges that lie ahead as every sporting season has its own odds which they all have to defy if they want to succeed.

Trouble-making fans, especially at football matches at Stad Linite and Stad Popiler and basketball games at the Palais des Sports, must bare in mind that their actions are cardinal sins, which could result in team suspensions.

We should all strive to eradicate violence in Seychelles sports and for this to happen, sports federations’ and associations’ bye-laws must be respected and there should be no favouritism when inflicting punishments.

Nothing must be taken for granted in our quest for glory. So let’s put our mettle to the test as we brave the rough seas to reach our next destination. We should all root for Seychelles teams and individuals in all sports.

We can hardly wait to see how the season unfolds.

G. G.