Basketball-SBF appoints national team coaches |25 May 2005

The coaches chosen to work with the two national teams are Steve Hoareau (women’s team head coach), Robinson Boniface (women’s team assistant coach), Alix Allisop (men’s team head coach) and Clifford Joubert (men’s team assistant coach).

SBF chairman Paul Denis told Sports Nation in a telephone conversation Tuesday May 24 that the coaches have three-year contracts, including a one-year probation.

Asked if the pre-selections will get to play international matches in preparation for the IOIG, basketball boss Denis replied:

“Emphasis will be placed on getting the teams to play a lot of friendly matches locally. Right now, we are in contact with some basketball federations on the African continent to see if they are organising competitions in which we can participate. We are also looking into the possibility of organising competitions here with the participation of national teams from different countries.”

The pool of coaches has the arduous task of putting together the best possible Seychelles teams in the hope of winning competitions at regional and possibly international levels.

The most immediate challenge could be the Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) gold medal in 2007 in Madagascar.
The country’s men’s team came close to winning the gold medal in 1993 on home soil but settled for the silver medal after losing to Madagascar in the final.

The team won a bronze in 1998 in Reunion, but failed to finish on the medals podium in 2003 in Mauritius.

As for the women’s team, they won three consecutive silver medals in Madagascar (in 1990), in Seychelles (in 1993) and in Reunion (in 1998). They took the bronze medal in Mauritius (in 2003).

Coach Allisop made his name as a coach when working with Premium Cobras. His highlights with the team include twice achieving back-to-back League and Cup doubles in 1998 and 1999, winning the East, Central and Southern African Basketball Club Championship (ECSABCC) and the Indian Ocean Club Championship (IOCC) crowns in 1999.

He also had spells with Mont Fleuri, Anse Etoile Stars (women), Angels, Beau Vallon Heat and Falcons (men’s first division) as coach.

Clifford Joubert is a seasoned coach who has worked with both the country’s men’s and women’s national teams for 15 years now. He worked with the men’s team at the Third IOIG in 1990 in Madagascar and was assistant to former coach Keven Furneau at the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius in 2003.

The former Seychelles player, who holds the role of assistant to coach Tony Juliette with the PLS Hawks team, won a silver medal with the women’s team at the Fourth IOIG in Seychelles in 1993.

Steve Hoareau is the coach of this year’s IOCC winners and two-time Men division 1A champions Premium Cobras. Winner of two IOIG medals – a silver in 1993 and a bronze in 1998 – as a player, Hoareau has been working with the country’s female cadet and junior teams producing young talents to replace the ageing senior players.

He also coached Premium Cobras to winning the silver medal of the ECSABCC in 2003 in Zanzibar.

Robinson Boniface is in his second spell as national team coach. Chosen to work alongside Michel Malbrook in 2002 but lost his place due to unforeseen circumstances, Boniface, himself a former Seychelles player, guided Bel Air to winning their first league title in a long time last year.

What the coaches said:

Alix Allisop

“I take my appointment as national coach as a challenge. I didn’t want to do it earlier because I felt that I wasn’t ready. Now that I have matured as a coach, I feel it is the right time to make the next move in my career as a coach. My main objective with the team is winning the IOIG gold medal. But we will be all out to give our very best in any other competitions we compete in. The team will be training twice weekly this year and the sessions will increase as competitions near.”

Clifford Joubert

“I’m ready to share my experience with the head coach and the whole team. Seychelles must win a medal at the next IOIG and it should be gold. Local clubs have won the IOCC and with the pool of quality players playing the game right now, I don’t see why we cannot triumph comes the next IOIG. But, it will be important that all players, clubs’ coaches, the federation’s executive committee and the sports authorities give us their full backing.”

Steve Hoareau

“It’s a tough challenge. Together with my assistant (Robin Boniface), we will work on blending young players into the team to play alongside their experienced seniors. We also need to work on the fundamentals, get the players to play faster and as a team and play tough defence. The only disadvantage here is there aren’t many women’s teams in the league and therefore, we have to choose players from a small pool. We will have to work hard to produce a good team.”

Robinson Boniface

“As a club team coach, getting the chance to work with the country’s national team is a step forward. Many coaches dream of this opportunity. To win international competitions, the team will need a lot of exposure and I’m ready to help the team and the players achieve their aim. ”