Paralympic Association of Seychelles gets new executive committee   |28 October 2021

Family photo of the new Paralympic Association of Seychelles executive committee

The Paralympics Association of Seychelles which works with disabled athletes, mostly in preparation for the Paralympics Games, held every four years in the same year as the Olympic Games has a new executive committee.

The association is affiliated to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) – the global governing body of the Paralympics movement – which organises the summer and winter Paralympic Games and act as the international federation for nine sports, supervising and coordinating world championships and other competitions.

Dr Lucia Banane is the Paralympic Association of Seychelles’ new chairman, replacing Alain Volcère, while sailor Allan Julie replaces Patricia Rene in the post of vice-chairman.

Geralda Charlette is now occupying the post of treasurer which was previously being occupied by Pookhothai Pillay.

Mifa Moncherry is the association’s new secretary, replacing Fiona Paulin.

The new ordinary members are Rick Confiance, Samantha Esparon, Claudia Anacoura, Catriona Monthy, Andy Labrosse, Pierrette Confiance and Terry Volcère.

The idea to form the Paralympic Association of Seychelles came about in March 2013, following the visit of Rwanda National Paralympics Committee chairman Dominique Bizimana and Elias Musangeya, the senior development consultant at UK Sport.

Seychelles made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, with just two representatives, namely Cyril Charles who competed in both swimming and athletics, and Elvis Victor who entered the athletics competition, with neither winning any medal.

In the men's shot put THS4, Victor threw a best distance of 5.68m to finish eighth, while Charles did not take part in the men's shot put THS4 event.

He instead competed in one swimming event and posted a time of 41.59 seconds in heat 1, finishing eighth and not advancing out of the heats.

Charles was back at the Summer Paralympics in Rio, Brazil in 2016. Aged 56, he threw a distance of 16.97 metres in the men's F56-F57 javelin event to finish 14th overall. The event was won by Iran’s Mohammad Khalvandi with a best throw of 46.12m. The silver medal went to Abdollah Heidari Til also of Iran with a distance of 43.77m and the bronze was taken by Ngoc Hung Cao of Vietnam who threw the javelin over a distance of 43.27m.

Roland Duval