The National Sports Council (NSC) brought together representatives of national sports federations and associations for the second edition of its Sports Forum on Saturday at the Savoy Hotel, providing an important platform for dialogue, information sharing and greater understanding of the services available to the sporting community.

The forum was organised with the aim of helping federations and associations better understand the different services, procedures and protocols that can support them in the administration and day-to-day running of their organisations.

Joining forces with the NSC for the forum were a number of key institutions and partners, including the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation, the Department of Health, the Information Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Department of Sports.

Representatives from the different organisations used the forum to explain their respective roles and the services they offer to the sports community. Particular emphasis was placed on helping sports organisations understand how and when they can access these services, as well as the procedures they are expected to follow.

Rather than being limited to a series of formal presentations, the forum adopted an interactive approach. Following each presentation, representatives of federations and associations were given the opportunity to raise questions, seek clarification and engage directly with the different service providers.

This format allowed participants to address issues affecting their respective organisations and provided an opportunity for the institutions involved to better understand some of the challenges being faced by sports administrators.

The forum was attended by Minister for Youth, Sports and Family Kalsey Belle and NSC Chief Executive Officer Mario Pragassen, reflecting the importance being placed on strengthening the relationship between the country’s sporting organisations and the institutions that provide support and services to them.

Opening the forum, Minister Belle challenged federations and associations to use the opportunity not only to gain information, but also to reflect on how they can improve their own systems and standards.

She encouraged every federation to leave the forum with a commitment to improve, stressing that progress in individual organisations would ultimately contribute to the development of sport as a whole.

“When you leave here today, I encourage every federation to leave with one commitment: to be better than you were yesterday and to hold yourselves to even higher standards. We will do the same.”

Minister Belle said that if individual federations continued to pursue improvement, the collective impact would be felt across the entire sporting landscape.

“If every federation commits to continuous improvement, then collectively our strength and the entire sporting landscape will improve.”

She also urged participants not to view the forum as simply another meeting on the sporting calendar, but rather as an opportunity to challenge existing practices and embrace greater collaboration.

“Let this forum not simply be remembered as another annual gathering. Let it be remembered as a moment where we challenged ourselves to raise the bar, a moment where we chose progress and collaboration over isolation.”

The minister acknowledged the contribution already being made by those involved in sport, particularly volunteers, administrators and athletes, noting that Seychelles has a strong base upon which to build.

“We have very committed volunteers, very active federations, passionate administrators, and athletes with enormous potential. Our task now is to work together to ensure that our systems, our leadership and our federations are equally prepared to match that potential.”

An important element of the minister’s opening remarks was her call for openness and honest discussion during the forum. She encouraged representatives to freely raise their concerns and share their experiences, emphasising that constructive dialogue is necessary if the sporting system is to improve.

Following the forum, Minister Belle said the concerns raised by federations and associations had been noted and would be given consideration. However, she stopped short of making specific commitments, stressing that any action would have to take into account the resources available.

“We have listened carefully to the issues raised by the federations and associations. While I cannot make promises today, I can assure you that we will examine the concerns and work towards addressing them, taking into account the resources that are available to us,” she said.

The second Sports Forum forms part of the NSC’s continued efforts to strengthen communication with national sports organisations and ensure that federations and associations are better equipped to fulfil their responsibilities.

Beyond providing information, the forum also served as a platform for building stronger working relationships between sports administrators and the various institutions whose services are essential to the effective governance, development and protection of sport.

With federations and associations playing a central role in the development of athletes and the organisation of sporting activities, the NSC sees continued engagement of this nature as an important part of creating a more informed, accountable and collaborative sporting environment in Seychelles.

Second Sports Forum strengthens dialogue between NSC, Federations and Key Partners

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