Ministry of Education awarded IOC’s ‘Sport and Promotion of Olympism’ trophy |07 December 2007

Present for the occasion were Education minister Bernard Shamlaye, Snoc’s secretary general Alain Alcindor, treasurer Mary Banane, other Snoc executive members, Education special advisor Selby Dora, officials of the Extra Curricular Activities and Physical Education (ECA/PE) section, school children and teachers who are in charge of Olympic clubs in schools.

Mr Gopal said that Snoc has always benefited from the assistance of the Ministry of Education in the projects it has put in place to benefit Seychellois schoolchildren.
He talked about the formation of Olympic clubs, the facilitators’ handbook, and the organisation of poem, quiz and public speaking competitions.

Mr Gopal noted that Snoc can become a model in Africa for the number of activities it has been doing to promote Olympism and added that the local Olympic body hopes to compile a manual which it will send to the IOC to show the work it has been doing.
For her part, Mrs Siméon said that it was “an honour” and that she was “touched by the gesture of Snoc and IOC”.

She noted that it was through the good partnership that exists between the Ministry of Education and Snoc that they have been able to organise activities with the aim of promoting Olympic values among school children.

The traditional IOC trophy is given to all National Olympic Committees (Noc) across the globe each year and they honour a prominent figure from within their own sporting community.

Individuals or organisations who have played a major role in the development of sports related to the selected topic chosen by the IOC for a  specific year are awarded the IOC trophy through their Noc.

The past recipients are Antonio Gopal of the Seychelles National Olympic Committee (International Year of Sports and Olympic Ideals in 1994), Sports Minister Sylvette Pool (Olympic Movement Unity in 1995), Brian Orr of the Seychelles Athletics Federation (Centennial Olympic Games in 1996), Robert Auguste of the National Sports Council (Sports For All in 1997), Sail Training Scheme (Sports Ethics in 1998), John Marie (Sports and Education in 1999), former Seychelles Amateur Boxing Federation chairman Simon Lespoir (Sports and Universality in 2000), Alain Alcindor of the Seychelles Yachting Association (Sports and Volunteer in 2001), sports doctor Kenneth Sherwin (Sports and Well-being in 2002), State Assurance Corporation of Seychelles (Sporting Excellence in 2003), sports journalist Gerard Govinden (Sports and Media in 2004) and Seychelles Football Federation (Sports and Fair Play in 2005) and James Barreau (Sports and the Community in 2006).

G. G.