La Digue School pulled off a major surprise at the interschool volleyball tournament on Saturday, claiming both the boys’ and girls’ under-17 knockout titles with victories over English River and International School respectively, announcing themselves as the force to be reckoned with in school volleyball.
The island school delivered two impressive performances in the finals, defeating both opponents by the same score 2-0 to complete a memorable double and cap years of hard work to develop the sport on La Digue.
Speaking to Today Sports, La Digue’s physical education teacher, Pragtima Ernesta, said the school had always possessed the potential to compete with the best, but its progress had often been overshadowed by the recent successes of other schools, particularly those from Praslin.
According to Ernesta, the main obstacle had not necessarily been a lack of ability, but a lack of belief among her players, who had developed a fear of facing their neighbours in competition.
She explained that changing the players’ mindset had been central to their transformation, helping them believe they could not only compete with their rivals but also surpass them.
“Once they had the belief, the rest was easily achievable, as we have been working hard for the last five years,” she said.
Ernesta added that the team had been eager to face Praslin in the knockout competition to prove that the fear had finally disappeared. They had even expected to meet their neighbours in the early rounds, but the Praslin teams were eliminated before the anticipated encounters could take place.
While the girls had already demonstrated their progress by beating Praslin to the league title, the boys were equally keen to test themselves against their island rivals, to who they had again played second fiddle to, in the league.
Nevertheless, the double victory on Saturday provided further evidence of the strides La Digue has made in recent years.
Ernesta also highlighted a positive change in the popularity of volleyball among young boys on the island. Whereas football had traditionally attracted most of their interest, more boys are now taking up volleyball, an encouraging development for the sport’s long-term growth.
However, she warned that the school would have to work hard to maintain its momentum ahead of next year’s competition.
Most of the current players will be over age for the under-17 category next season, meaning the school will have to rebuild its teams. Their under-15 squads also have weaknesses to address after failing to reach the finals last weekend.
“We will be starting a new five-year cycle next year,” Ernesta explained, pointing to the need to continue developing younger players to sustain the school’s recent success.
There is, however, a further reward for the boys’ team following their under-17 triumph. The players will now move into senior volleyball, with the team already registered to represent La Digue in the second division.
The development is particularly significant because the island previously did not have a men’s team competing at that level, making the achievement another milestone in the five-year effort to promote volleyball on La Digue.
Regional under-17 league winners also presented trophies
Saturday’s tournament also provided an opportunity to present trophies to the regional winners and runners-up in the interschool under-17 volleyball league.
In Region One, Anse Royale dominated both categories, winning the boys’ and girls’ competitions. Anse Boileau finished runners-up in the boys’ category, while Pte La Rue took second place among the girls.
Region Two also produced a double winner, with Mont Fleuri claiming the boys’ and girls’ titles while Plaisance finished runners-up in both categories.
In Region Three, English River took the boys’ title ahead of Independent School, while the girls’ competition saw Independent School reverse the outcome, finishing ahead of English River.
Region Four produced contrasting results between the neighbouring islands. Praslin Secondary secured the boys’ title ahead of La Digue, but La Digue’s girls came out on top, relegating their Praslin rivals to second place.
The regional results, together with La Digue’s double knockout triumph, highlighted the competitive depth developing in school volleyball and set the stage for another demanding season as teams prepare to rebuild and strengthen their squads for next year.
La Digue, Independent School and the International School are undoubtedly the big winners of this year’s competition interschool volleyball competitions, having dominated the knock-out under-15 and under-17 categories over the last fortnight.