It was a tough day for Team Seychelles in the team sports event at the CJSOI Games today, as all three medal hopes in basketball and volleyball ended in disappointment.
From a potential three podium finishes, the hosts had to settle for just one silver, being on the losing end of all three matches.
The boys’ volleyball team came the closest to delivering a win, battling bravely against Mauritius in a five-set thriller.
Having lost 0-3 to the same opponents in the group stage, Seychelles showed clear progress, surging to a 2-1 lead.
However, Mauritius proved more tactically composed in the closing stages, rallying to snatch victory 2-3 and deny the home side a gold the domestic crowd deeply craved.
Earlier in the day, the girls’ volleyball team also fell short in their bronze medal match, losing on the same sets score also to Mauritius.
And on the basketball court, the boys’ team struggled to match the pace and physicality of Mayotte in their third-place playoff.
The visitors dominated the latter stages of the match despite a good start from the home side, ensuring Seychelles finished empty-handed in the discipline.
The day’s results served as a sobering reminder of the competitiveness of regional team sports, with Seychelles coming close but unable to convert promising positions into medal-winning performances.
