Third Commonwealth Youth Games-Seychellois athletes leave today |10 October 2008

Lauro left the country on Tuesday, along with her father Carlo Lauro, who will act as coach. The tennis competition starts on Sunday.

The remaining eight athletes – Yannick Ernesta (athletics, 100m), Lissa Labiche (athletics, high jump), Joel Dubel, Cynthia Course (badminton), Hughes Fostel, Anniessa Benstrong (table tennis), Dwayne Didon and Shannon Austin (swimming) – are to leave today. They will be accompanied by badminton coach Gerard Bibi.

The other officials are Jimmy Vel (table tennis), Joseph Volcy (athletics) and Priscilla Kinloch (swimming). They are expected to depart tomorrow along with chef de mission Mary Banane.

Reigning Young Male Athlete of the Year Joel Dubel will carry the Seychelles flag at the opening ceremony on Sunday October 12. The week-long sporting extravaganza will be declared open by Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

This is the first time Seychelles are competing in the Youth Games, which the city of Pune will host from October 12-18.

Delegations from Niue, Cook Islands, Pakistan, Solomon Islands and Fiji arrived in Pune yesterday.

The Games are seen as a run-up and a trial event for the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in Delhi.

Over 1,300 athletes and 350 officials from all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth are to take part in these games with 351 medals to be won across nine sports – athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.

Competition venues for all disciplines and the Athletes’ Village will be housed in a single sports complex called Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex and located on 153 acres of land.

G. G.