Ministry of Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture-New Major Games Division set up |17 January 2008
The new division, in the office of the Principal Secretary for Youth, Sports and Culture, will
Mr Eric Arnephie, previously the Managing Director of the National Sports Council (NSC), will head the new division which will provide a centralized, efficient and coordinated structure for Seychelles’ participation in and organization of all major games.
Previously it was the NSC which was responsible for the coordination of such participation and organization either through the federations or special committees.
Announcing the setting up of the new division Youth, Sports and Culture Principal Secretary Denis Rose said this new arrangement will allow the autonomous NSC to concentrate more on the promotion and organization of sports in the country at all level.
“It is very important that we have a structure that works full time on major games especially now that Seychelles will be hosting the CJSOI Games in July-August this year, possibly the African Junior Athletics Championship in 2009 and the Indian Ocean Islands Games in 2011,” explained PS Rose.
“It will be this division which will, for example, look at the infrastructural and other needs for such games, leaving the NSC free to work with partners to provide sportsmen and women of the level and caliber necessary to compete in those games,” he said.
The division will also help in coordinating the organization of events such as club and other championships held in Seychelles as well as the participation of athletes in major games abroad.
However, it will be the NSC which will continue to be responsible for deciding on the quality of the athletes which will take part in those major games.
PS Rose said a smooth communication flow between the division and the NSC will ensure a smooth working partnership from which the country will come out as winner.
“When we host major games here we must ensure that we excel not only in their organization but also in the performance of athletes,” he said.