First Special Olympics Pan African Games in Egypt |04 February 2020

The Seychelles delegation upon their return home

Seychellois athletes return with 18 medals

Seychellois Special Olympians received a rapturous welcome on Saturday morning on their return home from taking part in the inaugural Special Olympics Pan African Games in Cairo, Egypt with a count of 18 medals – six gold, six silver and six bronze.

The gold medallists were Maggie Estico (100m and long jump), Rosie Corallie (shot put), Regis Duval (shot put), Jennifer Romain (50m) and Leonard Morel and Faisal Athanase (men’s double bocce).

The silver medals were won by Jean-Yves Marengo (100m), Jude Bibi (100m), Jennifer Romain (soft ball throw), Rico Freminot (long jump), men’s 4x100m relay team and Christelle Botsoie (women’s singles bocce).

Veronia Jean (100m), Christelle Botsoie and Maryse Berlouis (women’s doubles bocce), Maryse Berlouis (women’s singles bocce), Faisal Athanase (men’s singles bocce), Leonard Morel (men’s singles bocce) and the men’s football team captured the six bronze medals.

Over 1,000 athletes from 42 African countries took part in the first ever Special Olympics Pan African Games which started on January 23 before climaxing last Friday under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

Following the conclusion of the inaugural Games in Cairo, Rwanda was given the rights to host the second Special Olympics Pan African Games in 2022.

The Special Olympics Pan African Games are open to athletes with intellectual disability, except for football which countries can field unified team (mix of athletes with intellectual disability and normal athletes). Seychelles sent a team comprising only athletes with intellectual disability to the Games and they competed in different divisions according to their level of intellectual disability and age.

The athletes competed across Africa’s four most-practiced Para sports – football, basketball, bocce, and athletics – and most of the events acted as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, set to be held between August 25 and September 6.

The mission of the Pan African Games is to provide a high quality sports experience, and engage key influencers and communities to help create positive attitudes and bring about permanent change towards the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities throughout the continent of Africa.

The Pan African Games marked the first-ever joint event between Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa and Special Olympics Africa.

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the younger sister of former US President John F Kennedy, Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.

The organisation provides year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and unified sports partners in 172 countries.

The Seychelles delegation who represented the country at the Games in Cairo

Athletes:

Football – Michael Andrew, Ronny Romain, Bernard Barbé, Michel Jouanneau, Steven Mothé, Joshua Sophie, Ralph Abel, Daniel Choppy

Bocce – Maryse Berlouis, Christel Botsoie, Leonard Morel, Faisal Athanase

Athletics – Jude Bibi, Rico Freminot, Jean-Yves Marengo, Regis Duval, Rosie Coralie, Veronique Jean, Jennifer Romain, Maggie Estico

Head of delegation: Helen Ernesta

Assistant head of delegation: Raymonde Onezime (board member)

Medical personnel: Dr Mickey Noël

Coaches: Jim Louis, Vincent Cedras, Olivier Nibourette, Emedine Athanase, Erica Celeste, Jason Bonne.

Gerard Govinden