XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia |24 March 2018
Athletes urged to do their best
“Push yourself hard to return home with a medal”.
This was the message Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mitcy Larue had for the country’s athletes during the sending off ceremony for Team Seychelles for the XXI Commonwealth Games.
Accompanied by 18 officials, the 25 Seychellois athletes will compete in eight sporting events in Gold Coast, Australia from April 4-15, 2018.
The sending off ceremony was held yesterday afternoon at the Seychelles Trading Company’s (STC) conference room.
Athlete and Sportsman of the Year 2017 Dylan Sicobo will be Team Seychelles’ flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the games.
Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by youth and sports principal secretary Fabian Palmyre, sports special advisor Jean Larue, National Sports Council chief executive Giovanna Rousseau, Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (Socga) president Antonio Gopal, Socga vice-president Hughes Adam, members of the diplomatic corps, athletes, representatives of sponsors and a group of students from Bel Ombre primary school.
The ceremony started with some athletes marching in the uniform they will wear at the games. 2017 best female table tennis player Christy Bristol paraded in the white T-shirt, weightlifter Rick Confiance sported a red track suit and a red sport bag and boxer Shain Boniface wore a light blue suit for the official march past.
In her speech, Minister Larue thanked the athletes for working hard to achieve the high standard, thus getting the chance to represent Seychelles at the games. She also thanked all those who have helped the athletes reach the high level.
“To you athletes, my message is to push hard and to make it your duty to do your best to, if possible, return with a medal for Seychelles which is our main objective,” said Minster Larue who will be with the team in Gold Coast until April 9.
She reminded them to be good ambassadors for Seychelles and with that in mind it will motivate them to shine and win medals.
For his part, Socga boss Gopal said that as it is getting harder for athletes to compete in the games because of the qualification standard, it is still Seychelles’ desire to one day win a gold medal.
He urged the athletes to at least beat their personal best if they cannot win a medal.
On behalf of his colleagues, swimmer Dean Hoffman thanked everybody who has helped made their involvement in the games possible and promised to do their best.
As a token of appreciation, representatives of sponsors were presented with a certificate.
Seychelles is taking part in eight sports disciplines ‒ table tennis, boxing, swimming, athletics, badminton, weightlifting, cycling and squash.
The athletes making up Team Seychelles are Dylan Sicobo, Sharry Dodin, Leroy Henriette, Joanne Lou Toy (athletics), Keddy Agnes, Edrian Volcère, Shain Boniface (boxing), Kervin Ghislain, Steve Malcouzane, Juliette Ah-Wan, Alisen Camille (badminton), Stephen Belle, Jeff Esparon, Christopher Gerry (cycling), Rick Confiance, Dereck Come, Clementina Agricole (weightlifting), Godfrey Sultan, Christy Bristol (table tennis), Adam Moncherry, Dean Hoffman, Samuele Rossi, Therese Soukoup, Aaliyah Palestrini (swimming), Klaus Pragassen (squash).
The invitees are Antonio Gopal and Alain Alcindor (Socga officials).
The officials are Hughes Adam (chef de mission), Mary Banane (general team manager), Rudy Flore (team attaché), Giovanny Fanny (athletics coach), Rival Payet, Gerry Legras (boxing coach), Tukebana Bau (badminton representative), Calixte Francourt (badminton coach), Lucas Georges (cycling representative), Kevin Marie (cycling official), Macdonald Henriette, Zaher Hamdan (weightlifting coaches), Francis Remie (table tennis representative), Samantha Aglae (table tennis coach), Guillaume Bachmann, Stefano Palestrini (swimming coaches), Ridvan Prosper (squash representative), Ken Freminot, Gracie Nartey (medical officers).
It is to be noted that some of Seychelles’ medal hopefuls ‒ sprinter Ned Azemia, high jumper Lisa Labiche and swimmers Alexus Laird and Felicity Passon ‒ will not be taking part in the games for various reasons.
Seychelles has taken part in the Commonwealth Games since 1990 and has never won the gold medal. The country’s first medal came in boxing, when Rival Payet won bronze in 71kg category in Canada after missing his semifinal bout.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998, boxers Gerry Legras (63.5kg) and Roland Raforme (91kg) won a silver medal each.
Athlete Celine Laporte won a bronze medal in the long jump and Janet Georges also won a bronze in weightlifting in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia.
Weightlifter Georges climbed a step higher in Delhi, India in 2010, by winning a silver medal.
The closest Seychelles came to winning a medal in Glasgow in 2014 was through Clementina Agricole who unluckily finished fourth in weightlifting, missing out on a bronze medal by only 3kg.
The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, and were known as the ‘British Empire Games’.
