Athletics (Handisports) – 11th Indian Ocean Island Games 2023 – Madagascar   |24 April 2023

Handisports athletes go through first qualifier

Despite the difference in their ability, the handisports athletes have always made the country proud at international level, contributing 10 medals to Seychelles’ tally at the 10th Indian Ocean Islands Games held in Mauritius in 2019.

For the 11th Games scheduled to take place in Madagascar from August 23 to September 3, the handisports athletes will once again form part of the local contingent, despite no big publicity and fancy international training camps, but they hope to better the performance of the 10th Games in 2019 when they contributed 10 medals ‒ one gold, two silver and seven bronze.

In track and field, Richard Sophola won a silver medal in shot put after finishing second with a throw of 8.14 metres, while Lorna Sophola also won a silver medal in the 800m race after clocking 3:22.14 to finish second behind gold medal winner Ashley Telvave of Mauritius who finished in 2:49.57. Margareth Gustave of Reunion was third in 3:42.96.

Michael Andrew won two bronze medals, with Odile Felix and Debra Dogley winning one bronze medal each.

Andrew’s first bronze medal came on the first day of the competition in the 100m where he clocked 12.79 seconds, finishing third behind Wilson Turpin of Reunion who was second in 12.56 seconds and Eddy Capdor of Mauritius who finished first in 11.80 seconds.

His second bronze medal was in the long jump event where he leaped 5.38 metres.

Dogley’s bronze medal was in the 200m for the deaf where she finished third in 33.18 seconds behind Malagasy Nancy Andrianarindra who was second in 29.75, while Shleysha Lokheeram of Mauritius was the race and gold medal winner in 29.48 seconds.

Felix finished the 100m race in 15.61 seconds, behind runner-up Gasela Todisoa of Madagascar who clocked 15.26 seconds and race winner Mauritian Ashley Telvave who clocked 15.13 seconds.

In the men’s 800m race, Michael Jean collected the bronze medal after finishing third in 2:44.10. It was Mauritian Denovan Rabaye who was the gold medal winner with a time of 2:21.48, finishing ahead of Nelson Turpin of Reunion who was second in 2:22.62.

Seychelles’ other bronze medal in athletics was Jerry Thérésine in the 1,500m wheelchair race. Thérésine clocked 6:15.50 to finish third behind Sperien Dovique of Madagascar who was second in 4:59.15. Cedric Ravet of Mauritius won the race and the gold medal in 3:45.80.

Seychelles’ other medals in handisports were in swimming through Stephanie Mondon in the 50m freestyle, where she clocked 43.44 seconds to successfully defended her gold medal won for the first time in Reunion in 2015, while Janil Lucas won a bronze medal in the  50m freestyle in a time of 55.03 seconds.

The first of three selection heats, or qualifiers for the track and field athletes started on Saturday, and a total of eight athletes are expected to make the final team to compete in four events, precisely 100m, 200m, 800m, and long jump in Madagascar.

Saturday’s event gathered around 30 athletes from the Vocational Training Centre (VTC), School for the Exceptional Child, as well as some athletes who train with Special Olympics Seychelles.

Speaking to Sports NATION, coach Vincent Cedras explained that handisports at the IOIG is very tough as it is equally competitive as the normal sporting disciplines.

He said, compared to Special Olympics, only the best are chosen, based purely on their performances, while any medal won will be added to the country’s tally, having the same value or worth as all those won by normal athletes.

Coach Cedras also made it clear that it is the Paralympics Association of Seychelles which has the responsibility of choosing and preparing the athletes, in collaboration with sports’ governing bodies, and the process, he said, has nothing to do with Special Olympics Seychelles as many people believe.

He, however, did not hide his frustration vis-à-vis the Seychelles Athletics Federation which to date has not gathered the handisports athletes under its umbrella, for the preparation of the 11th Indian Ocean Islands games (IOIG).

Coach Cedras explained that other sporting federations, in particular swimming, absorb the handisports athletes within their preparations, making them part of the team, compared to athletics which only claims and celebrates the achievements of the athletes.

He added that despite being left out, the handisports athletes have a group of dedicated coaches who invest all they have in them, boosting their progress and confidence, encouraging them to do better each time.

Speaking on the achievements of the athletes, coach Cedras, who led the delegation at the last Games in 2019, said the good performance is proof that despite their differences, the athletes have the ability to represent the country and even achieve positive results.

He said the exploit of the athletes at the 10th Games should serve as inspiration for the entire disabled community, as well as a wake-up call for all parents with a disabled child to allow them to use the various available opportunities to develop their talents.

The accompanying photos taken by Elise Ernesta show some of the handisports athletes in action during Saturday’s event.

Roland Duval