Minister Vincent Meriton’s working visit to Cuba |19 June 2009
Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Vincent Meriton and the president of Cuba’s National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), Christian Jimenez Molina, signed the agreement in the presence of INDER vice-president and Cubadeportes director general Oscar Acosta Hernandez.
Cubadeportes is the agency responsible for cooperation with other countries in the area of sports and physical education.
Under the agreement, Seychelles will benefit from Cuban expertise in sports medicine and sports psychology to help local athletes achieve better results at national, regional and international levels.
“Sometimes our athletes miss the little edge to win the gold medal in international events. We want to do well and a Cuban specialist will work with our athletes to improve their performance and help them achieve better results,” said Minister Meriton.
A Cuban specialist will also come here to train youth workers and community animateurs in community sports development, physical education, recreation and community animation.
“If things work out well, there is a possibility that we send our own youth workers to Cuba for high level training,” he added.
The minister noted that he put to Cubadeportes management the wish to have an athletics coach for throws and jumps.
“Instead of a coach, I have been offered two specialised coaches, one in throws and one in jumps,” said Minister Meriton.
He added that Cuba has agreed to send a specialist here to work with the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Education on a uniform and integral system of physical education programme in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions.
Minister Meriton, who attended the Cuba-Bulgaria game in the men’s World Volleyball League at Havana’s Sports City coliseum on Friday June 12, visited the Havana-based Anti-Doping Control Centre and the International School of Physical Education and Sports where six Seychellois students are undertaking studies in the area of sports and physical education.
Minister Meriton met six of the eight Seychellois students studying in Cuba – Nelson Charles, Daniel Cétoupe, Ruddy Joseph, Rodney Sinon, Laam Laam and Gerard Monthy.
He said he delivered packages sent by their parents and briefed them on recent developments here.
“I also asked them to take their studies seriously and to return home immediately after graduation,” added Minister Meriton.
Minister Meriton was in Cuba from June 9-14 on the invitation of the Cuban government.
G. G.