Cycling-Jean-Baptiste elected Cac’s secretary general |28 May 2005

Jean-Baptiste is Cac’s new secretary general. He was elected to the post during elections held for executive committee members at the recent congress in Rome, Italy.

The congress, it is to note, was brought up by the world cycling body Union de Cyclisme internationale (UCI) because former Cac president Adama Dialo of Burkina Faso was not delivering.

Jean-Baptiste replaces Egyptian Mohamed Wagih Azzam who is now Cac’s president.

Kenyan Julius Mwangi holds the post of vice-president and Yero Bah of Guinea is the treasurer.

The three ordinary members are South African Gotty Hansen, Libyan Adel Amer Aboshawashi and Tunisian Mohamed Jamel Louafi.

A seventh member, Sylvia Dale of South Africa, has been elected by Cac president Azzam to represent the African body on the UCI board.

Twenty of the 36 affiliated member countries participated in the Cac congress.

“It’s a proud moment, not only for me but also for Seychelles. To hold such a position on any African sporting body is in itself an achievement. We already have Patel (Suketu) on the Confederation of African Football and the Fédération internationale de football association, and Miss Rousseau (Giovanna) on the Confédération  africaine d’athlétisme and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). I’m proud to join them.

“Venturing into such a field will enhance Seychelles’ position and we hope to come closer to Cac and UCI to possibly benefit from any sort of assistance,” Jean-Baptiste told Sports Nation on Friday.

Jean-Baptiste has added that on top of his agenda when he next meets with the UCI and Cac in September in Madrid, Spain, will be scholarships for young Seychellois cyclists and the construction of a velodrome.

He noted that the SCA has already received approval from the Seychelles government to build a velodrome at Roche Caïman, but needs to get sponsorship.

Seychellois cyclists, who are concentrating locally on getting a good position on the final classification table, can also look forward to participating in the African Road Championship in September 2005, the Track Championship in either Abuja or South Africa in 2006, the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, from March 15 to 26, 2006 and the World Championship in March or April next year.

G. G.