30th annual Inter-Schools Athletics Championships-Champions out to defend titles |13 June 2006
Anse Royale (primary school), Praslin (secondary school) and Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre (post-secondary institution) were the overall winners at the end of last year’s 29th edition of the championship.
Anse Royale made its neighbour Anse Aux Pins, winner of the best overall primary school title for six consecutive years – in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 - relinquish the crown last year.
Praslin became the secondary champion for the first time in 2004 and it succeeded in defending its crown last year. Wednesday, the Praslinois will be hoping to make it three wins in a row to emulate Anse Boileau whom they succeeded as champions.
Anse Boileau won the title in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
At the end of last year’s championship, Physical Education (PE) instructor James Barra told Sports Nation that " we know that it is going to be even tougher next year (2006) as we will be aiming for a third consecutive title.”
Whether Praslin can achieve a third success in a row remains to be seen.
If one sticks to the winning pattern in the post-secondary category, it is very unlikely that the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre (SHTTC) can retain its title.
Not one post-secondary institution has been able to win the title more than once over the past three years.
In 2005, SHTTC succeeded the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) who had itself dethroned 2003 champion Farmers Training Centre (FTC).
The last post secondary institution to win the open category title at least two years in succession is ITC and it happened in 2001 and 2002.
Six other cups likely to be hotly disputed during the championship are those for Fair Play for competitors and spectators in the primary, secondary and post secondary categories.
Wednesday’s event will start at 10 a.m. at Stad Linite and new to the championship this year will be the lighting of the flame at the start of the day.
Athletes who performed well in past editions of the championship have this year been invited to join the participants in the march past and they will line up on the field instead of on the track as it has been the case over the years.
On top of medals, record breakers will receive trophies and certificates and their schools will be awarded bonus points for their efforts.
As for the best overall schools, they will get a shield that they will keep as well as the floating cups.
More than 1,000 schoolchildren from schools around Mahe, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette will be in action in track and field events.
Primary schools will participate in the under 8, 10 and 12 categories, secondary schools will compete in the under 14, 16 and 18 divisions while post secondary institutions will compete in the open category which replaced the old under 20 division last year.
The different track and field events the athletes will compete in are 60m, 80m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 4 x 60m relay, 4 x 100m relay, medley relay, high jump, long jump and shot putt throw. Medley relay, with athletes running 400m, 300m, 200m and 100m, replaced the 4 x 400m relay in 2005.
Compared to past years,
The sack race and egg and spoon race, two of the main attractions of past championships, will only feature as demonstration events Wednesday.
The defending champions
Overall winners
Anse Royale – winner of the best overall primary school
Praslin – winner of the best overall secondary school
SHTTC – winner of the best overall post-secondary institution
President James Michel’s Fair Play cups
Baie Ste Anne School - winner of the President James Michel's Fair Play cup for competitors for primary level
Mont Fleuri - winner of the President James Michel's Fair Play cup for spectators for primary level
Anse Royale - winner of the President James Michel's Fair Play cup for competitors for secondary level
English River - winner of the President James Michel's cup for spectators for secondary level
Farmers Training Centre (FTC) - winner of the President James Michel's cup for competitors for post-secondary level
Category winners
Anse Etoile and Anse Boileau – joint-winners of the girls under 8 category
Plaisance – winner of the boys under 8 category
Anse Aux Pins – winner of the girls under 10 category
La Digue – winner of the boys under 10 category
Anse Royale – winner of the girls under 12 category
Anse Royale – winner of the boys under 12 category
La Digue – winner of the girls under 14 category
Anse Royale – winner of the boys under 14 category
Praslin - winner of the girls under 16 category
Praslin - winner of the boys under 16 category
Anse Boileau – winner of the girls under 18 category
English River – winner of the boys under 18 category
SHTTC – winner of the girls open category
ITC – winner of the boys open category
Fredericks, the championship’s guest of honour
INJURIES forced him to retire in 2004 but on the track Frankie Fredericks was Africa’s finest sprinter.
After being awarded a scholarship at Brigham Young University in the USA in 1987, Fredericks won his first major medal - a silver - in the 200 metres, finishing behind Michael Johnson at the World Championship in 1991.
At the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, Fredericks became Namibia's first Olympic medallist when he finished second in both the 100 metres and 200 metres.
The following year (1993) in Stuttgart, he became the 200m world champion.
At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Fredericks was among the favourites for the 100m and 200m titles and he finished second in both events.
He was beaten by Donovan Bailey, who set a new 100m world record, and in the 200 metres he lost to Michael Johnson, who also set a new world record.
Fredericks, who will not be on his first visit to Seychelles, has run the 100 metres under 10 seconds 27 times.
His personal bests are:
100 metres: 9.86 seconds (in 1996)
200 metres: 19.68 seconds (in 1996)
200 metres indoors: 19.92 seconds (world record)
G. G.