Sports Training and Technical Development |17 February 2020

The graduates in a souvenir photo with the guests and lecturers

11 new sports managers equipped to better serve and represent athletes

Eleven personnel directly involved in local sports are now better equipped to deliver in their respective fields after completing the Advance Sports Management Course, an initiative of the National Sports Council.

It is line with the National Sports Council’s effort to better equip aspiring local sports personnel and representatives with the skills, strategies and requirement to better serve and represent athletes.

The training programme allows volunteers and paid staff of different sports organisations to expand their managerial skills while actively contributing to a unique learning community.

By developing and presenting case studies, sharing experiences, and studying the material presented in the programme, the course participants learned how to implement change and ultimately manage their organisations more effectively.

The 11 graduates comprising the fourth cohort of the Advance Sports Management Course (ASMC) received their diplomas during a ceremony at the NSC Sports Training Centre in Victoria on Friday, in the presence of the principal secretary for youth and sports Fabian Palmyre, the president of the Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (Socga) Antonio Gopal, officials of Socga, NSC and course director Bernard Denis.

The graduates are Gordon Boodna, Nadine Finesse, Alia Gamatis, Chantal Hoffman, Ruudy Joseph, Mervin Joubert, Francis Labrosse, Vanessa Narty, Dominic Pillay, Soutane Robert and Monica Samson.

Among the topics covered were the Olympic movement, organising an Olympic sport organisation, managing strategically, managing human resources, managing finance, managing marketing and organising a major sporting event.

To date, there are 35 ASMC graduates in the country.

Addressing the graduates, Mr Denis noted that more than 80 people have started the programme since the first cohort in 2010 and a handful has started twice and yet could not cope with the demand.

Those who made it to the end, he said, have not only made some impact within their sport organisations but they are also an asset for their professional workplace and in their personal life, they are good managers.

He explained that the programme in itself is a big test to one’s personality as it measures how committed one is to address pertinent matters without giving up.

“These graduates are used to the famous terms we have been using over the past months, like so what, why, when, who,” he added.

Mr Denis also added that he is 100% sure that the graduates know how to identify what is really a problem, while knowing their strengths and how to make use of them.

“They are now capable of turning most of their weaknesses into strength, make use of the opportunities around them and of course know the threats that lie ahead and know most of the risks ahead and how to calculate them and make the necessary decision,” further added Mr Denis.

The course director also noted that with experience, the graduates will know when to sit on the fence and when to look behind the wall to be able to see the real or the bigger picture, thus know how to respond.

“They are in a better position to make the real change their sport organisation really needs and in doing so, their respective sport organisation will remain or become compliant with the local authorities and the word transparency, good governance and accountability will not scare them,” Mr Denis concluded, before urging the respective sports organisations to give the graduates the opportunity to develop into the managers they can become.

He also thanked the various work organisations which have granted leave of absence to their employees to attend the course, as well as the partners, including the facilitators, Socga, the NSC, the support of the Sports Training Centre and the main sponsor the International Olympic Committee which has been sponsoring the different cohorts since 2010.

Socga president Goal welcomed all the graduates to the august occasion in celebrating their success.

“This educational project is offered all over the world by the International Olympic Committee to train personnel in sports management and we are glad that sports organisations in Seychelles have responded favourably to it,” said Mr Gopal.

He added: “And by doing so we are seeing progress in the fields of management not only in sports but in management in general in Seychelles i.e. wherever these students are working. As you know management is management whether it is in sport or not. We take this opportunity to congratulate all the graduates and thank the course directors, facilitators and the juries for giving their time and being faithful over the years to assist us in running the course. We would also like to thank the NSC for its assistance throughout the course.”

Roland Duval