Boxing: 11th Indian Ocean Islands Games 2023 – Madagascar |21 April 2023
Former Seychelles’ boxing legends the late Michael Pillay and Selwyn Medor at last year’s competition to commemorate the International Day of Boxing
Then came the next generations of boxers
● Clutching their fists for the IOIG
With barely four months left before the 11th Indian Ocean Islands Games which will take place in Madagascar from August 23 to September 3, many athletes are looking forward to make Seychelles proud, especially from the new generation who are eager to attain glory as their predecessors did at past games.
Once considered as the king of the region in boxing, the Seychellois pugilists have, for a while now, lost that crown, failing to maintain the standards once set by local elites in the likes of Michael Pillay, Remy Zialor, Daniel Marengo, Peter Isaac, Ralph Labrosse, Rene Sabury, Michel Monchery, Garry Crispin, Felix Remie, Alain Surman, Olderick Esparon, Jean Claude Labonté, Adolf Tirant, Gerry Legras, Rival Payet (formerly Cadeau), Roland Raforme, Jovette Jean, Kitson Julie, Andrique Allisop, Macfarlene Estrale, Perry Nassib, Alva Botsoie and Ronny Legras ‒ all past Indian Ocean Islands Games ( IOIG) medallists and talented athletes.
The task to bring back the glory now falls on the back of the new generation of boxers who have already started preparations for the forthcoming Games.
A pre-selection of 21 fighters are already training under the guidance of coaches Gerry Legras, Rival Payet and Roland Raforme – for a spot in the last 13.
The 21 members of the pre-selection are Timo Gabriel (48kg), Michael Tabbita (51kg), Romano Moustache (54kg), Archil David (54kg), Russel Victor (57kg), Fabio Roselie (60kg), Dario Victor (60kg), Mohamad William (63kg), Roberto Padayachy (63.5kg), Nel Rioux (63.5kg), Shain Boniface (67kg), Greg Estico (67kg), Jovanie Bouzin (71kg), Ivan Rachel (71kg), Edrian Volcère (75kg), Joshua Cousin (75kg), Nichol Bamboche (75kg), Dasheil Fanchette (81kg), Dyan Vidot (91kg), Keddy Agnes (91+kg), and Arianna Memée (66kg).
For a spot in the final 13, the pugilists will compete in a special qualifier tournament hosted by the Seychelles Boxing Federation (SBF) tomorrow morning, starting at 10am at the Victoria Gymnasium, getting the opportunity to test the recently-renovated canvas of the boxing ring.
Speaking to Sports NATION, pre-selected pugilist Dyan Vidot said he is training very hard on week days and weekends with coach Payet.
He acknowledged that the task ahead will not be easy but with determination and concentration he can achieve a positive result.
Vidot, who is only 21 years old, took part in the Inter-îles boxing competition held in Reunion last November, and for the IOIG, he is anticipating for a re-match against his Mauritian rival who defeated him during their encounter.
Without a local competitor in the category, Vidot automatically qualifies for the regional Games, along with Keddy Agnes.
“My wish is to bring home a gold medal from the IOIG and help Seychelles regain the title of kings of the Indian Ocean,” said the cruiserweight fighter.
Female pugilist Arianna Memée uncertain for IOIG
Arianna Memée, the only female competitive boxer in Seychelles, is in doubt for the IOIG 2023 due to medical reasons.
She has been instructed to refrain from boxing by her physiotherapist until further notice. The female pugilist began boxing around 2019 with a friend as a way to maintain their fitness.
Seeing her potential, coach Legras advised her to take boxing at competitive level.
Memée also received the support of her partner who also took up boxing to keep her motivated.
Since joining boxing, she could only train, as there were no other female practicing the sport at competitive level.
Last year she suffered a hip problem which kept her away from the gym for about five months, preventing her from doing any exercise.
“I was getting discouraged by the injury, but my partner told me that it is not the end, he helped me all the way through my rehabilitation and this helped boost my morale,” said the female pugilist.
Upon making her comeback from the injury, Memée had the chance to compete at the 2022 AFBC African Men’s and Women’s Championships in Maputo, Mozambique, where she won a bronze medal, collecting the country’s first ever female international boxing medal.
Memée, who competed in the 69kg category, started her journey at the championship in the quarterfinal where she beat Temnotfo Dlamini of Eswatini on points, before losing her semifinal bout by RSC (referee stopped contest) to Brigitte Mbabi of Congo.
Coach Rival Payet has high hopes on young pugilists at the Games
With seven young boxers under his guidance, coach Payet is positive that the finest of them will be selected to represent Seychelles in Madagascar.
He believes that this group is more excited to prove themselves than ever.
Coach Payet added that the pre-selected fighters are being well prepared to secure a spot even though not all of them will have the chance to go to Madagascar.
He explained that since the IOIG Seychelles hosted in 2011, the country’s boxing is yet to reach the centre stage.
“In sports it takes time to replace what the past has offered us,” explained coach Payet, who further noted that retention of athletes is a bit difficult, especially with how our social and sporting systems work.
He said they create obstacles for athletes when they reach adulthood.
“After their education path, they have to work to support their family, and this gives them less time to focus on their sporting careers,” said coach Payet who added that the team will suffer a big blow as one of his best fighters would not be able to take part in the qualifiers as he is focusing on his job.
This, he said, saddens him in a way.
“There is no mechanism in place to cater for those who want to be full-time athletes, and this contributes to the lack of retention of athletes in the country, while many sportsmen and women recognise that the scale of having a normal job outweighs that of having a career as an athlete,” added coach Payet.
The coach noted that he is currently preparing two young athletes to challenge for an Olympic medal in 2028.
“I do not want to disclose their names yet but these two have the talent to pull it off in the Olympics, and if they keep the momentum of learning they will be phenomenal,” he added.
Possibility of getting help from abroad for IOIG preparation
To produce a professional Seychelles-born champion would be the ultimate objective and to help realise the feat is Brian Whalen, a former Canadian world boxing champion who is willing to offer some help to the SBF, especially in preparing for the forthcoming Games in Madagascar.
In an interview with Sports NATION, Mr Whalen said he has already started discussions with the SBF to bring 3-Star Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA) rated head coach Gord Apollini and the Top Glove Boxing Academy for a fruitful exchange.
Mr Whalen said the plan is to host a local tournament involving Canadian fighters of Top Glove and the SBF athletes as an excellent training platform in preparations for the IOIG.
“From our side we can cater to travel to Seychelles, all we need is accommodation and lodging from the SBF,” Mr Whalen said.
Now 65 years old, Mr Whalen retired from boxing six years ago.
He is married to Seychelles-born Jessie Whalen for 15 years and they are currently residing in the country.
He entered the world of sports playing ice hockey as Canadians are born to skate. In the early 70s, he had a change of heart and fell in love with boxing.
The Canadian boxer fought for 11 years among those six as an amateur fighter before going pro.
He won the 1978 Toronto Diamond Glove Championship, and after becoming a professional fighter, he stepped into the ring with some of Canada’s giants of the time, such as Nicky Furlano and Conroy Nelson who fought Mike Tyson.
“I was in the undercard for the heavyweight elimination tournament and the winner got the chance to challenge the Canadian heavyweight champ which was Willie deWit at the time,” said Mr Whalen.
Top Glove Boxing was opened in 1990, and it does not operate for profit.
All accumulation of capital goes to running the cost of programmes, while its operations and their certified coaches are volunteers.
Its mission is to promote health, fitness, integrity and good citizenship through the sport of boxing.
The well-experienced head coach Apollini has known many achievements over the years in his coaching career.
In 1990, he was a fully certified level 5 in National Coaching Certification Programme (NCCP), the youngest coach to accomplish this at that time.
He was head of the Canadian national team for quite some time, gathering a lot of experience all around the world.
His journey as an athlete is also well decorated, having won 71 out of 85 bouts. He was four times Canadian national champion in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1979, and five times Ontario provincial champion in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979 and 1982.
In 1978, he won the gold medal against Finland and in Russia 1980 Olympics he won the gold medal again by defeating a boxer from USA.
Coach Apollini has known many more achievements as a boxer and has vast knowledge and experience to share with the young Seychellois boxers.
Mr Whalen said it would be rewarding for the Seychelles team if they could secure a partnership with the highly decorated coach Apollini., and that even though nothing has been finalised, he is very positive that his proposal to the SBF will be fruitful, while he can personally help with the training programme.
He believes that exposure with international athletes will help provide the experience to the team ahead of the IOIG in Madagascar.
“Remaining enclosed will not provide these athletes with good experience,” noted Mr Whalen who added that the amateur level is where you learn all the basics and it is a stepping stone for further progression as a boxer.
Mr Whalen is very passionate and motivated to play a role in producing Seychelles’ first professional champion. “They have done well among amateurs over the years, but I think it is time for Seychellois fighters to take the next step and I would love to help with that,” he said.
It is not the first time that Mr Whalen has had a close look at Seychelles’ boxing. When he was in Seychelles in 2019 he had a sparring session with Nelson Molle.
Coming back to Seychelles with bigger intention to develop boxing, he met with some of the current young athletes and still at his age, he put on sparring sessions with the young blood of the sport.
“Seychelles has a lot of good talents, and there is a lot of heavy-hitters,” he added.
The former Canadian fighter understands how the economic downturn derails the progression of the sport and noted that the government needs to invest more in the youths as they are the future for Seychelles’ boxing.
“Give them more support, provide them with better equipment for them to make the leap over that hurdle,” said the former boxer.
Having visited training venues, he said there is a lack of equipment such as speed balls which is a definite must for these young athletes to progress to the next level.
“By investing in the sport, more youths will be motivated and inspired to box, while it may refrain them from crime and other social ills, and instead of taking a left turn, they will take the right turn, achieving something positive,” he added.
He believes that one cannot always be dependent on the government or sponsors to fund boxing, and proposed a way to ease the financial pressure which holds back the sport.
Along with his wife, Mr Whalen suggests that fund-raising activities such as regular boxing events are hosted, with the federation raising funds through entrance fees.
The 1978 Diamond Glove champion concluded by saying that it is also up to the athletes to push themselves further and they should have the determination to do so, and it is up to the young bloods to have the willingness and desire to take the next step towards a professional career.
Neil Sirame
