Football |14 March 2023

Smartly dressed in their new uniform, the young players pose for a souvenir photo with MNA Vidot, Mr Maillet, coach Jeanne, head teacher Athanase and other school and district’s representatives (Photo: Roland Duval)

Plaisance primary school gets new training and playing kits

The call for ownership of the community by the citizens has been heard in the Plaisance district, with the football team of the district’s primary school receiving new training and playing uniform from two individuals, a gesture which will boost the morale of the young players, while maintaining their interest towards sports activities, rather than bad influences, leading to social ills.

The young players are training under the guidance of former Seychelles national team coach Gavin Jeanne and they have been a solid unit for more than a year now.

The new sets of uniform were handed over to coach Jeanne and physical education (PE) teacher Bessie Jupiter by sponsor Daniel Maillet, and member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the Roche Caïman district Audrey Vidot who was representing the second sponsor who wanted to remain anonymous.

The handover ceremony took place yesterday at the school, in the presence of head teacher Therese Athanase and PE teacher Christian Mahoune.

MNA Vidot said the sponsorship is the perfect example where individuals, whether within or outside of the community where they live, come forward to bring a helping hand, especially towards the wellbeing and development of the children, helping to steer them up the right path in life, preventing them from being sucked into negative influences.

She urged more people who can afford, to come forward and lend a helping hand, not necessarily in relation to sports, but any other cause that can bring changes into the life of a group of people, as well as individuals.

On behalf of the kids, coach Jeanne thanked the sponsors for their gift which he said will definitely have a positive impact on them since they have long been waiting to play in proper uniforms.

He invited more sponsors to join the cause which he said is only the beginning of a bigger project which will regroup more kids from other districts.

Coach Jeanne said in partnership with different ministries, namely that of education, family, youth and sports, and also that of local government and community affairs, a new project is being initiated whereby more kids from different districts will benefit through various sports activity programmes other than football which has been used as pilot project.

Coach Jeanne, who led the Seychelles national selection at the last Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) in 2019 in Mauritius, said he chose Plaisance primary for the pilot project after noticing that his young son did not have a proper platform to play and enjoy football.

He explained that after noticing the progress, as well as success of the pilot project, he decided to expand it, thus giving more kids from other districts the opportunity to also have sports as an option towards a positive growth, rather than being led into bad influences.

Roland Duval