Judo   New set of tatami for the Roche Caïman Dojo   |27 September 2021

The presentation ceremony

To improve the environment of competitions and raise the standard of the main local dojo, while attracting more athletes to the sport, the local judo federation has acquired a new set of tatami.

The new equipment at a cost of US $4,957.20 has been jointly sponsored by the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (Socga), through the Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca), and the National Sports Council (NSC).

They were handed over to the ex-president of the Seychelles Judo Federation (SJF) Mervin Joubert by president of Socga Antonio Gopal and chief executive of the NSC Jean Larue during a small presentation on Saturday morning at the Roche Caïman dojo.

A tatami is a type of mat used as a flooring material in martial arts, for training and competition.

Mr Gopal who is a member of the Anoca and president of Africa’s zone 7, explained that the fund comes from past years’ money not spent due to the Covid-19 constraints, therefore they decided to assist judo following the federation’s formal request.

On behalf of the NSC, Mr Larue pledged the council’s support towards the development of local sports, especially among the youth.

He also encouraged the athletes to use the equipment appropriately and urged them to promote their sport, thus encouraging more young people to join.

Regarding the resumption of local sports activities, Mr Larue noted that the NSC is in deep discussion with the health authority on a common agreement to allow spectators at sports venues.

Roland Duval