Basketball-Seychelles’ basketball loses Robert Smith |10 June 2006

After having spent 12 years here, Smith, a social worker by profession after graduating in child sociology and psychology, is to continue his church work in Germany.

Although he recently received Seychellois citizenship, it is not clear at this point when Smith will return to our shores.

Smith first came here in 1994 and ever since he’s been actively involved in promoting local basketball.

During his 12-year stay, he’s worked mostly with young players and played an important role in the Seychelles Basketball Federation’s (SBF) youth development programme. He was known for introducing ‘baby basketball’ in Seychelles.

The SBF was particularly impressed with Smith’s work that it decided to appoint him as technical advisor to the federation in 1998.

He also accompanied the women’s and men’s national teams to the Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Reunion the same year.

According to the former basketballer “a lack of disciplined players is a major factor that’s working against high quality basketball here.”

He added that “compared to their Indian Ocean counterparts, Seychellois players have good morphological and physical condition for the game of basketball and this is a fact that influenced my stay here from the beginning.”

G. J.