XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland |22 July 2014

Team Seychelles settle in Games Village

Team Seychelles have settled in and are getting themselves ready for tomorrow's opening ceremony of the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rod Stewart and Susan Boyle will sing in front of 40,000 during tomorrow’s opener at Celtic Park, which will also feature the parade of nations and the end of the Queen’s baton relay after its journey via each of the 71 nations.

The Seychelles delegation arrived in Glasgow on Sunday night and the athletes will get a few days to acclimatise to the weather before they start competing.
The country’s delegation is being led by Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Minister Vincent Meriton and it is the biggest team Seychelles has ever sent to the Games.

The Seychellois athletes will be taking part in a record nine of the 19 sports to be contested by 6,500 athletes of the Commonwealth family.
The nine disciplines that Seychellois athletes will take part in are athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, judo, squash, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting.

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 athletes are being hosted at the Athlete’s Village, a purpose-built, low-carbon development in Glasgow’s East End. The village offers an exclusive retail area, recreation area, dining hall, medical facility and other amenities for use by the athletes and officials.
The XX Commonwealth Games start tomorrow (July 23) and end on August 3.
Team Seychelles comprise:

Official delegation: Minister Vincent Meriton (Minister for Sports), Antonio Gopal (Socga president), Alain Alcindor (Socga secretary general), Denis Rose (principal secretary for Sports), Hughes Adam (chef de mission), Mary Banane (general team manager), Dr Kenneth Sherwin (chief sports doctor), Dr Julie Shamlaye (sports doctor), Radley O’Sullivan (physiotherapist) and Luke Smith (physiotherapist).

Athletics: Neddy Marie, Dean William, Leeroy Henriette, Lissa Labiche, Joanne Loutoy, Andy Labrosse and Jean-Paul Juliette (athletes), Maurice Camille, Carlos Sanchez and Terry Volcère (coaches), Lucia Banane (official).

Badminton: Steve Malcouzane, Kervin Ghislain, Georgie Cupidon, Juliette Ah-Wan and Alisen Camille (athletes), Calix Francourt (coach), Tukebana Bau (official).

Boxing: Keddy Agnes and Andrique Allisop (athletes), Rival Payet (coach), Herve Anthony (official).
Cycling: Dominic Arrisol, Edward Pothin and Chris Germain (athletes), Lucas Georges (coach), Lita Denis (official).
Judo: Leslie Philoe, Naddy Jeanne, Dominic Dugasse and Brigitte Rose (athletes), Calix Cesar (coach).
Squash: Eva Alphonse and Ridvan Prosper (athletes), Rene Durup (coach), Nigel Pillay (official).
Swimming: Adam Viktora, Dean Hoffman and Felicity Passon (athletes), Paul Fanchette (coach), David Vidot (official).
Table Tennis: Godfrey Sultan, Nicholas Esther, Dario Laurence, Anniessa Benstrong and Laura Sinon (athletes), David Low-Thion and Peter Youpa (coaches)
Weightlifting: Terrence Dixie, Rick Confiance, Ruby Malvina, Janet Georges and Clementina Agricole (athletes), William Dixie and Reginald Estro (coaches), Barbara Hoareau (official).

Warm welcome

According to a spokeswoman for Glasgow 2014, most teams have arrived and completed their registrations.

“They’ve received a warm welcome to the largest sporting and cultural event in Scotland’s history,” she said.

Newspaper reports say that Glasgow will be bustling as fans, including thousands from the rest of Britain, start arriving in their droves.

The reports add that the majority of rooms available across hotels, guesthouses, serviced apartments and universities have been snapped up.

Scott Taylor of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau said: “Occupancy in the city over the 11 nights of the Games is around 88 per cent, which equates to nearly 175,000 rooms.

“And there are some nights – the opening weekend of the Games for example – where occupancy is pushing 95 per cent. Some 400,000 ticket holders are travelling from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, many of whom will be staying in Glasgow for at least two nights.

“It’s really big business. Having spoken to a number of hoteliers and restaurateurs, they’re expecting sales to increase by more than 50 per cent on last year. This will be the largest party Glasgow has ever hosted and visitors will enjoy an electric atmosphere and a truly memorable experience.”

Meanwhile, the number of security workers affected by an outbreak of norovirus at the Athletes’ Village rose to 53 yesterday as five new cases emerged. A temporary toilet facility identified as the likely source has been closed.
No athletes or team officials have so far reported symptoms.