ECA/PE section re-evaluates programmes |04 May 2005

No the Extra-Curricular Activities and Physical Education (ECA/PE) section within the Ministry of Education and Youth isn’t starting afresh. Instead, it is re-evaluating its programmes to become abreast with new developments, according to its director Wilfred Adrien.

After the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) announced last month that it will no longer organise age group football competitions for players under 15 years old, the ECA/PE section has had to get back to the drawing board and see how it can compensate for the loss of inter-school football, especially between primary schools.

Mr Adrien explained to Sports Nation recently that the ECA/PE section’s aim is to get schoolchildren to love sports and make it a habit of practicing different sports disciplines.

“We (ECA/PE section) are not into organising competitions between schools. For some time now, sports federations and associations have been asked to run school leagues and one-day tournaments. The section acts as a facilitator. The Seychelles Basketball Federation is running a girls’ league, the Seychelles Handball Association organised a one-day tournament last term. We encourage federations and associations to run those competitions because it is through these matches that young talents are uncovered. It’s a pity that the SFF has decided to stop running inter-school competitions in the younger age bracket. Those competitions were really interesting and most schools participated.

Not everything’s under our control although the SFF discussed the issue of abandoning the different leagues for younger players before making a formal announcement. As a section, we must now gather ourselves and see how we can pick up the slack and keep schoolchildren busy. Physical Education instructors are well armed and they know how to work with young potential athletes,” said Adrien.

G. G.