Seychelles gets first football institute |04 June 2022
“We need to make the population dream,” Youth, Sports and Family Minister Marie-Celine Zialor has said.
She made the comment yesterday afternoon during the launch of the Institut Football Seychellois (IFS) at the Savoy Seychelles Resort & Spa, Beau Vallon. The IFS, which takes on a boarding school mentality, will be occupied by 18 students on scholarship from various schools across Seychelles.
Present for the launch of Seychelles’ first football academy was President Wavel Ramkalawan who is also the patron of football, Minister for Education Dr Justin Valentin, president of the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) Elvis Chetty, chief executive of the SFF Georges Bibi, principal secretaries, National Sports Council chief executive Jean Larue, parents and pupils.
SFF president Chetty said their aim is to bridge the gap in the quality of play between Seychellois footballers and international players. He noted that they were inspired about four or five years ago by the Iceland team at the World Cup. After advancing to the knockout stages of Euro 2016, Iceland defeated England in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals and lost 2-5 to host nation France. Iceland then qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It was their first and in doing so they became the lowest-populated country ever to reach the finals and they drew 1-1 against Argentina, lost 0-2 to Nigeria and 1-2 to Croatia.
He further added that Iceland has a population of about 300,000 people almost as small as Seychelles. “We analysed what Iceland has done,” he said.
Mr Chetty acknowledged that they realised that the kids in Seychelles were not following regular training and not properly immersed in the sport early on, therefore they did not have the proper education. The IFS will now cater for the students at the institute located at Roche Caïman and the pupils will train and attend classes from Monday to Friday and have the weekend off. Some of the students will have to change schools as they will board at the academy and will either attend Plaisance or Mont Fleuri school which is closer to the academy.
Education Minister Dr Valentin noted that the arts, culture and sports must be equal to academic development. He added that he endorses the project as it relays the message he wishes to instill in young people. He further added that there is no worry in terms of education as it works hand in hand with his ministry’s educational plans.
SFF’s national technical director Osama Haroun drove the initiative and he stated that the institute is there to prepare the pupils for the world of sport and that it is education based as well as the state of mind, which is of significant importance. He praised the Seychellois pupils who have shown their potential and recognised the strength, progress and courage of the players.
Mr Haroun also commended a young player, Lorenzo Hoareau, who managed to seize an opportunity in France to show his potential. Hoareau almost signed for Olympique de Marseille but the place was later snatched by a young American player who has been training intensively since childhood. Hoareau, who came in close second, has acquired another opportunity as he has been invited to take part in the trials again next year.
SFF chief executive Georges Bibi and principal secretary for education services Merna Eulentin officially signed the memorandum of understanding during the ceremony.
Minister Zialor highlighted that the project will not be just for football but will also include other sports as well. She stated that they have had a high-level meeting to identify these talents starting from crèche onwards. She also added that “we also need to see more women in football, we need to inspire young girls”.
She added that the project will also cater for girls in the near future.
SFF president Chetty and CEO Bibi officially handed the official IFS t-shirts to the 18 players as well as President Ramkalawan, Minister Zialor, Minister Valentin, principal secretaries Jean-Louis and Eulentin. They also presented a token of appreciation to Dr Carol Nalletamby who has dedicated a lot of hours with the young boys and the institute.
President Ramkalawan commended the players and noted that through sport these youngsters will be groomed to face life itself through discipline. He further added that with strategy in mind they will learn and develop a plan for their future.
The president encouraged the players to seize these opportunities and added that his wish is for all the other sports to follow in the same direction.
President Ramkalawan then joined SFF boss Chetty to sign a football to mark the official launch of the academy.
Other than the 18 young players already enrolled in the academy, the IFS will later accept two more applications from interested players all over Seychelles. However, they will have to be self-funded and must show a very good academic record.
The accompanying photos were taken by our photographer Joena Meme.
Marla Simeon