38th annual Inter-School Athletics Championships - Anse Royale retains secondary title |01 July 2014

. Anse Royale and SIT best primary and post secondary schools

Anse Royale retained the best secondary school title, while Anse Royale and SIT (Seychelles Institute of Technology) took the primary and post secondary crowns at Sunday’s 38th annual Inter-School Athletics Championships.

The championships were held on Sunday June 29 to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations. It was also the last time the championships will be held on June 29 as they will now be held on June 18 – Constitution Day.

This annual competition was attended by President James Michel, Vice-President Danny Faure, Education Minister MacSuzy Mondon who had challenged the athletes to surpass the number of records set last year in this last school athletics competition organised on this date.

For this year’s competition, a new award – Young Athlete Health Promotion – was introduced and it rewarded the school that had better prepared physically, nutrition wise and with less injury during the competition.

In the primary category, Baie Lazare primary was chosen as the best school for the Young Health Promotion award whereas Anse Boileau won the prize for secondary school and the Seychelles Police Academy was voted top in the post secondary category. It was Vice-President Faure who presented those trophies to these schools.
As for the schools with most gold medals, Grand Anse Praslin (five gold medals) won for the primary category, Anse Royale (11 gold medals) was the best in the secondary category and SIT (seven gold medals) dominated the open category.

President Michel presented the Fair Play award and Anse Boileau received the prize for primary level with 138 points, one ahead of La Digue and Anse Royale was third with 135 points.

In the secondary category, Anse Royale lifted the trophy after amassing 136 points and Praslin secondary finished second with 124 points while Beau Vallon secondary was third on 118 points.

The Seychelles Police Academy (SPA) made it a record fourth consecutive win in this category with 112 points with Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) in second place on 98 points and School of Business Studies and Accounting (SBS & A) finishing third with 96 points.

The athletes then competed for top awards in the different age groups and Minister Mondon as well as ministers Joel Morgan and Idith Alexander helped in the presentation of cups.
In the girls’ under-8 group, Baie Ste Anne Praslin primary was the best with 31 points while Au Cap won the cup for the boys with 20 points.

The girls’ under-10 age group was won by Grand Anse Praslin who claimed the cup with 30 points while Anse Boileau primary won the title for the boys with 27 points.

Last year’s top primary school La Rosière won their first cup in the girls’ under-12 category with 33 points and Au Cap won their second title winning the boys’ under-12 age group with 25 points.
In the girls’ under-14 category La Digue was the best with 40 points and Belonie won the boys’ cup with 42 points.
Anse Royale secondary won the cup for both the girls’ under-16 with 75 points and girls’ under-18 with 70 points.

Praslin though fought back as its boys’ under-16 team edged Anse Royale with 67 points, seven points ahead of the south Mahé school.

In the boys’ under-18 category Praslin secondary again came out as the best with 63 points far ahead of second placed Anse Royale on 50 points.

In the girls’ open category, the SPA led by Diane Nioze was the winner with 68 points and SIT, inspired by Ned Azemia with two gold medals in the 400 and 800 metres as well as setting two new championships records, was a class above all its opponents. SIT had a total of 86 points with Maritime Training Centre amassing 41 points and Visual Arts one point behind in third place.

The excitement had now reached fever pitch as the athletes and spectators awaited who would lift the prestigious best school awards.
Anse Royale primary won the best primary cup and they had 104 points – two points better off than Anse Boileau while last year’s winner La Rosière finished in fourth position. Anse Royale also won another title – the special under-14 primary school cup.

Anse Royale secondary was by far the best to retain its title in the secondary category with a whopping 304 points whereas its main rival Praslin secondary had 231 points and English River was third with 216.

In the post secondary category, SIT was the best with 131 points as it dislodged SPA who was second with 97 points. Third was SBS & A with 91 points.
The championships also produced 17 new records which is a better return than last year.

R. J-L