Launching of Seychelles Women and Sports Association-Seychelles women have the means and the courage to follow their goals and to achieve them - Mrs Math |26 November 2007

Speaking at the launching of the Seychelles Women and Sports Association on Saturday at the National Theatre, Mont Fleuri, National Sports Council (NSC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alain Volcère said that “girls’ and women’s participation in sports in Seychelles is far less than that of men” and added that the new “association should strive to see more women take up sport, either at non-competitive or competitive level, as coaches, team managers, technical officials or administrators.”

Present for the launching ceremony were Youth, Sports and Culture principal secretary Denis Rose, Seychelles National Olympic Committee (Snoc) president Antonio Gopal, Snoc’s secretary general Alain Alcindor, NSC officials, representatives of local sports federations and associations and guests.

Mr Volcère explained that Seychellois women have so far accomplished a lot in sports here, giving as examples the 15 gold medals out of the total of 35 won by Team Seychelles at the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Madagascar, the two-time IOIG gold medal-winning women’s volleyball team, the silver medal-winning youth team at the 11th Women’s Under-20 African Nations Championship and the many other achievers in individual sports.

“This is proof that Seychellois women can achieve a lot and they should be encouraged to do even better, especially those who are involved in competitive sports,” said Mr Volcère, who added that NSC will continue to work in close collaboration with sporting federations ad associations to help them achieve their objectives.

As for new Seychelles Women and Sports Association chairperson Anne-Marie Mathiot, she explained that the association’s mission is to ensure that girls and women have access to a complete range of opportunities and choices and have equity as participants and leaders in sports and physical activities.

She noted that the new association, which was registered with the Registrar of Associations in August this year, has to work in line with the ideas of the first Women and Sports Committee set up in 1999 by former sports minister Sylvette Pool.

Since then, seminars have been organised and an action plan has been drafted with strategies set.
Mr Mathiot added that “the Women and Sports Association is dedicated to providing role models of women athletes, their accomplishments, their abilities, autonomy and self-determination.”

“Seychelles women have the means and the courage to follow their goals and to achieve them. Let us treat the girls and women in sports with respect, dignity and fairness. Let the portrayal and recognition of women in sports be adequate and appropriate. Let the representation of women in coaching, in management and at decision-making level become more apparent. Let us encourage girls and women to take up a physical activity to promote a healthy lifestyle. Let the environment in which girls and women participate in sports be more conducive. These will be the driving force towards our strategies to improve the status of Seychellois women in sports,” concluded Mrs Mathiot.

It is to note that the Seychelles Women and Sports Association, whose new logo was unveiled during the ceremony, is expected to become a member of the WomenSport International.

During the launching, there were also a presentation about women and sports by Stephanie Duval as well as two dance performances by female dancers from the Anse Etoile and Mont Fleuri groups.

A photo exhibition about Seychellois female athletes in action was also set up and the association thanked the ministry responsible for sports, NSC, companies and individuals who have helped them in one way or another.

G. G.