XXI Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia |04 April 2018

Team Seychelles officially welcomed to games village

Our local athletes, coaches and officials presently taking part in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia were officially welcomed to the Games Village on Monday, during a colourful ceremony showcasing the cultural heritage of the Gold Coast natives.

Following welcoming remarks by the Games Village co-mayors Sara Carrigan ‒ 2004 Olympic cycling road race champion, and swimmer Mark Stockwell  ‒ 1986 Commonwealth Games 4x100m freestyle relay champion, Mary Banane joined all the other countries’ chef de mission on stage to exchange gifts, before each country’s flag was raised accompanied by their national anthem.

Built in Southport, a suburb and the central business district near the midpoint of Gold Coast, Queensland, the Games Athletes Village will provide accommodation and services to 6,600 athletes and officials in a purpose built 1,252 permanent dwellings.

Led by Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Mitcy Larue, Team Seychelles is made up of 18 officials and 25 athletes who will compete in eight sporting events from April 4-15.

Athlete and Sportsman of the Year 2017 Dylan Sicobo was the country’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the games held later today.

During the 11 days of competition, Seychellois athletes will take part in eight sports disciplines, namely table tennis, boxing, swimming, athletics, badminton, weightlifting, cycling and squash.

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 closest Seychelles came to winning a medal in Glasgow in 2014 was through Clementina Agricole who unluckily finished fourth in weightlifting, missing out on a bronze medal by only 3kg.

The first Commonwealth Games were held in Hamilton, Canada in 1930, and were known as the ‘British Empire Games’.

The programme of the XXI Commonwealth Games will be broadly similar to that of the 2014 Games, with the major changes being the dropping of judo, the reintroduction of basketball and the debut of women's rugby sevens and beach volleyball.

R. D.