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Archive - Archive 2004 - July 2013

Athletics-First schools invitational meet to guide future events, says minister |21 April 2012

Athletics-First schools invitational meet to guide future events, says minister

Education minister Macsuzy Mondon addressing the guests and athletes at yesterday’s opening ceremony

She was addressing guests and athletes at the official launch of the first ‘Seychelles Track & Field Schools Invitational Meet’ yesterday at the Stad Popiler.

The two-day competition is being jointly organised by the Seychelles Athletics Federation (SAF), local telecommunications company Airtel, the Ministry of Education and the National Sports Council (NSC) and it has brought together young athletes from the seven best performing secondary schools during the 2011 National Schools Athletics Championship – Praslin, Anse Royale, English River, Plaisance, La Digue, Pointe Larue and Beau Vallon – alongside athletes from the International School of Kenya.

Among the guests at yesterday’s opening ceremony were Minister for Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Vincent Meriton, principal secretary for Community Development and Sports Denis Rose, principal secretary for Education Merida Delcy, chief executive of the NSC Alain Volcère,  Airtel managing director Tsiresy Randriamampionona and Athletics director at the International School of Kenya Derrick Quinet.

Mrs Mondon said the government believes that sports play a major role in adjusting social ills among the youth and that it is the appropriate vehicle for the young people to channel their energies.

“It must therefore be promoted as early as possible among school children as an indispensable component of healthy living,” she added.

She also said this is one of the reasons the ministries responsible for education and sports have recently embarked on a new partnership to take school sports to new heights, by making it more accessible and attractive.

This, she said, is also aimed at encouraging and promoting more regular and quality participation in sporting activities among our youth.

“Hosting the Seychelles Track & Field Schools Invitational Meet which has seen the mobilisation of no fewer than 400 school athletes certainly does justice to the initiative of the two ministries,” she added.

She also commended the effort of the NSC, Airtel and the SAF in forging an exemplary partnership which materialised the event.

Mrs Mondon equally congratulated the school’s management, teachers and parents and expressed the ministry’s appreciation for the efforts done in preparing the athletes for the event.

She added that the presence of the Kenyan athletes is testimony to their spirit of adventure and the desire to promote the multicultural dimensions of sports.

She urged them to make the most out of the opportunity, not only to forge new friendship but to also enjoy the Seychellois experience, leaving them with beautiful memories they can cherish for a long time to come.

On behalf of the International School of Kenya, Mr Quinet thanked all the sponsors, the NSC and the SAF as well as the Ministry of Education for their ongoing support for track and field.

The ‘Seychelles Track & Field Schools Invitational Meet’ will continue today, starting at 10am at the Stad Popiler.

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