Antonio Gopal decorated with Anoca’s ‘Order of Merits’ |31 October 2023

Socga president Antonio Gopal decorated with the ‘Order of Merits’ by Anoca (Photo: Contributed)

Seychellois Antonio Gopal has been decorated with the ‘Order of Merits’ award from the Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa for services rendered for the development of Olympic values and sport in Africa.

Mr Gopal received the award during the second Association of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) gender equality forum held from October 4-5 in Cape Verde, precisely on Sal Island which hosted the African Beach Games in 2019.

Asked how he felt upon receiving this award, Mr Gopal responded saying: “It is not something that I was expecting. This award is one that is given by the Anoca itself without inviting others like national Olympic committees (NOCs) to recommend potential awardees. This presentation was made during a gender equality forum held in Cape Verde. Of course I am happy to be recognised for the works done, for the many years of service to sports in general – both at home and in Africa. It is good to take note that there are people who appreciate, giving the encouragement to others and myself to keep on doing what is good and necessary for the development of sports. I would not like to say too much about it except that it is good to encourage people who give their time for the good of humanity.”

Born on January 12, 1947, Mr Gopal, who competed in the men's 110 metres hurdles at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, USSR, was last year re-elected president of the local Olympic body – Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association ‒ which represents both the International Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Federation.

Running for the post of president unchallenged, Mr Gopal garnered 17 out of 22 votes to start serving his eighth four-year mandate as head of the local Olympic committee. He was first elected president in 1992 after serving as an ordinary member on the first Seychelles National Olympic Committee (Snoc) executive committee from 1979 to 1982 and as secretary general on the second from 1982 to 1991.

Socga was previously known as Seychelles National Olympic Committee (Snoc) until March 2007. Snoc came into existence in 1979 when Seychelles became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

In 2021, during the elective general assembly of the National Olympic Committees of Africa (Anoca) held in Cairo, Egypt from May 24-25, Mr Gopal was elected a member of the executive board of Anoca and president of Africa’s zone 7 for a period of four years. Zone 7 comprises the Comoros, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles.

Mr Gopal is also the president of the Conseil International des Jeux (CIJ) which runs the affairs of the Indian Ocean Islands Games. He first served as president from 2004 to 2008 before being re-elected in 2016.

He was also once the chief executive of the National Sports Council and managing director of the Seychelles Housing Development Corporation (SHDC), and is now the managing director of Gopal Construction.

Back to the second Anoca gender equality forum, nearly 200 people took part and it featured video messages from International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and the President of the Republic of Cape Verde, José Maria Neves, while IOC executive board member Prince Faisal bin Hussein of Jordan, presidents of African NOCs, Olympic Solidarity representatives and Olympic champions were among the attendees.

The African Olympic and Sports Movement is integrating gender equality, inclusion and diversity, in line with the IOC vision, given that sport is an extraordinary platform for the furtherance of equitable representation of women in leadership roles and positions of responsibility within the Olympic Movement.

Olympic Agenda 2020 + 5 has developed its strategic objectives around gender equality. Anoca is committed to implementing this global vision and the gender equality forum was used to further propel the continent’s progress on gender equality.

The aim is to offer women the opportunity to become more involved in sport by occupying key positions outside the competition arena, and to actively support champions and advocates of gender equality, diversity and inclusion. Anoca is committed to achieving the minimum target of 30% women on sports bodies.

Anoca is further committed to ensuring that all women have the opportunity to take part in sports activities in a healthy and conducive environment that takes into account the preservation of the right to dignity, respect for individual equality and participation in sport regardless of race, religion, gender, disability or social origin. Women’s leadership in sport in Africa must also be asserted in this context, with an increase in the number of women coaches, counsellors and officials.

Compiled by Gerard Govinden