BHC donates resources to support and give boost to youth girls’ football in Seychelles |12 November 2021

The presentation ceremony

Ahead of this Saturday’s national knockout football mini-tournament for girls aged under-12, under-15 and under-18, the British High Commission has reaffirmed its commitment towards the development of girls’ football in Seychelles, by donating various essential resources to the Seychelles Football Federation.

In a short ceremony at the British High Commission office yesterday morning, British High Commissioner Patrick Lynch handed over t-shirts, footballs, medals and trophies to the Seychelles Football Federation’s (SFF) director of women’s football, Angeline Chua. Also present from the SFF were youth development officer Jim Louis, football coach Michel Renaud, and administrative officer Angie Denousse.

The donation specifically includes: 15 ‘dri-fi’ t-shirts for supporting volunteers, 12 ‘Size 4’ footballs, 66 medals for participants that will place first, second and third across the tournament’s various age categories, trophies for each winning team across the three age categories, and 10 ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) patches.

As part of the SFF’s ongoing efforts to boost the profile of girls’ football in Seychelles, this Saturday’s mini-tournament will be taking place from 9am to 1pm, with matches being held at Stad Popiler and the mini-stadium in Victoria. Under-12 girls will play matches in a ‘4 vs 4’ team format, whilst the under-15 and under-18 age groups will play matches in a ‘5 vs 5’ team format. The mini-tournament is being supported by the British High Commission, with additional support being provided by the Malta Football Association and the Union of European Football Association’s (UEFA) football development programme, Assist.

The British High Commission’s support of girls’ football in Seychelles builds on its ongoing involvement in coordinating the overwhelmingly popular Seychelles Schools’ Premier League for teenage boys, which – for the past six weeks ‒ has transformed youth and community engagement efforts across Mahé. The next phase of British High Commission-funded football projects will actively promote inclusive participation across both genders – as well as efforts to engage young people from both Praslin and La Digue ‒ as these projects look to grow in both scope and impact.

Commenting on the British High Commission’s support of girls’ football, High Commissioner Lynch said:

“We are delighted to support the Seychelles Football Federation with the resources to help boost the profile of girls’ football across these isles. Great football is inclusive; it has always been a key part of our plans to support the development of youth girls’ football in Seychelles, alongside the ongoing support we are offering to the hugely popular Seychelles Schools’ Premier League for teenage boys.

“Our support of tomorrow’s mini-tournament is just the start of our commitment towards boosting the profile of girls’ football in Seychelles. Tomorrow will provide us with the opportunity to see the skills and talents of under-12, under-15 and under-18 girls who are passionate about football. I am deeply impressed by the dedication of Angeline (the director of women’s football) and her team, as they continue to work towards expanding the number of opportunities that exist for young girls to competitively participate in tournaments. We will be relying on her enthusiasm and expertise, as we plan to launch a girls’ football league - in partnership with the Seychelles Football Federation - early next year.”

For more information on how to register a team for tomorrow’s tournament, members of the public can email the Seychelles Football Federation at dowf@seyfoot.com, or call on 2817985.