11th Indian Ocean Island Games |24 October 2023

The teachers and students in group photo with Minister Valentin and other officials (Photos: Louis Toussaint)

Athletes and coaches should become schools’ sports and culture ambassadors

Students who are active in sports and teachers involved in coaching should become sports and cultural ambassadors for the schools, Education Minister Justin Valentin has said.

He was speaking during a special gathering at the Labriz Gastro Lounge at Bel Ombre yesterday for students and teachers who represented the country at the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) held in Madagascar between August 23 and September 3, as athletes, officials, volunteers and youth representatives.

Other than honouring the teachers and students, the event, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa, was also in line with the objective of the Ministry to revive sports in schools, thus using the students and teachers as ambassadors to this quest.

In the presence of top Ministry officials, along with chief executive of the National Sports Council (NSC) Marc Arissol, Minister Valentin asked the students to ‘contaminate their friends with a sports’ virus’, while taking on board their contribution and suggestion on issues related to sports in schools, especially how to improve on the Physical Education (PE) programme which is presently being neglected.

He said, during his interactions with the students and teachers, a lot of good suggestions came up, including the introduction of more sporting disciplines in the schools, while it was also suggested that sports activities are also included on the calendar of activities for the annual Teachers’ Week celebration.

Minister Valentin also urged the teachers to come together and bring up new ideas and activities in relation to sports which he said is in line with the Ministry’s campaign against obesity which will be launched soon.

Roland Duval