Top Seychellois athletes out of Commonwealth Games |20 March 2018

Seychelles’ medal hopefuls, high jumper Lisa Labiche, sprinters Dyland Sicobo and Ned Azemia, swimmers Felicity Passon and Alexus Laird, will not be part of the country’s team for the Commonwealth Games to be held in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4-15.

It was the president of the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (Socga), Antonio Gopal, who said this to Sports NATION.

He said his office has received the athletes’ different reasons why they can’t take part in the games. Out of the five athletes, only Laird is not on the Olympic Solidarity scholarship training programme.

According to Mr Gopal, Laird had expressed her desire long ago to only compete in the Indian Ocean Island Games and she was not part of the delegation for the Commonwealth Games.

On the other hand, Passon, who is on scholarship in the United Kingdom, had through the Seychelles Swimming Association, informed them that as she is going through a counselling phase in her studies and her training, she will not be able to represent Seychelles in Gold Coast.

As for Labiche, who is training and studying in the United States of America, she said she will not take part as she has to catch up with her studies.

Like Labiche, Azemia is also training in the United States of America and he has said that his university is not allowing him to compete in the Commonwealth Games which do not feature on the university’s programme of events.

As for Mauritius-based Sicobo, he has informed Socga that he is nursing an injury, but has not given any indication whether or not he would compete in Gold Coast.

Mr Gopal said “the athletes’ preparation is going on well since it started some two years ago”, but added that they “cannot foresee certain things that can happen as our aim is to encourage athletes to get to their best”.

The Socga boss added that other Seychelles athletes who are in top form can be included on the Team Seychelles for the Commonwealth games.

A 44-member delegation of 26 sportsmen and women from track & field athletics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, badminton and boxing, as well as 18 officials will leave on March 29 for the Games in Australia.

P. J.