Handball - Coach Danny Philoé leaves today for global coaching course |14 January 2015

Local handball coach Danny ‘Mathias’ Philoé leaves tomorrow to attend a high level course which will surely go a long way in the development of the sport in this country.

Seychelles Handball Federation chairman Norbert Dogley broke the news to Sports Nation yesterday, saying coach Philoé, better known as Mathias in the handball family, will be leaving for Doha, Qatar today to follow the week-long global coaching course that has been held every year since 2012.

“This is the second time Philoé will be attending the course and I’m sure he will learn a lot. The knowledge coach Philoé will acquire will help improve our play because he will be able to pass on to his players and colleagues what he has learned. I also see it as a huge leap forward as far as handball development is concerned in Seychelles as it will serve as a boost in our efforts in being competitive regionally and internationally,” SHF chairman Dogley told Sports Nation.

Mr Dogley added that the trip and the course are being sponsored by the International Handball Federation.
Speaking to Sports Nation, coach Philoé described his selection as a great opportunity for himself and Seychelles handball.

“I welcome this opportunity and I want to make the best out of it. I am privileged to be the only coach from the Indian Ocean region to have qualified for the second stage of the coaching course. What I will be learning in Doha will help in the quality of coaching I will be delivering with the men’s national team who are preparing for the forthcoming Indian Ocean Island Games,” noted Philoé who has been involved with coaching for 12 years now.

Coach Philoé explained that after taking part in the first stage of the coaching course last year in South Africa, they were given projects to work on in their own countries and those had to be submitted on DVDs and in writing.

“I’m proud to say that I was successful in these examinations and I look forward to succeed in the second one so that I will be able to qualify as a high level coach and take charge of any national team in Africa,” explained Philoé, one of the most successful local coaches as his club teams Super 8 (men) and Mont Fleuri Storm (women) have won numerous titles here in the region.

The week-long global coaching course coincides with Doha hosting the 2015 men's world championship which opens in Doha on Thursday.

The opening ceremony will take place in Lusail Hall, a stadium with a seating capacity for 15,000 spectators, while the final games, scheduled to take place on February 1, will be held in two other stadiums – Al-Sadd Club (7,000 spectators) and Duhail (4,000 spectators).

Teams from 24 countries will be taking part in the championship and the first match on Thursday will take place between Qatar and Brazil.

The opening ceremony will bring together 24 artists from different countries and will focus on the theme of “childhood”.
Qatar has offered the winners’ cup made of pure gold.

SHF chairman Dogley noted that coach Philoé will get the possibility to watch some of the matches and join fellow coaches in analysing them.

G. G.