Team Seychelles made a powerful statement in their opening boys and girls’ basketball matches at the 13th edition of the Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan Indien (CJSOI) Games, routing Djibouti 117-15 and 49-31 respectively in front of a packed home crowd at the Victoria Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
From the opening whistle, Seychelles asserted their dominance in the boys game, racing to a 34-2 lead by the end of the first quarter, setting up a commanding performance Djibouti had no answer for. Their high-intensity defense and rapid transition play left Djibouti with little room to breathe, forcing multiple turnovers and by halftime, the score stood at 59-7, as the home team continued to widen the gap with fluid teamwork despite some casual shooting.
Payet led the offensive charge with multiple scoring runs in the first half, while Revera, Ramadani, and Gabriel also made strong impacts on both ends of the court. Coach Hoareau sensing an easy victory made full use of his bench, rotating players effectively to maintain intensity until the final minutes of the match.
The third quarter saw no let-up from Seychelles, who added another 25 points to Djibouti’s 4, further asserting their superiority. Djibouti struggled to keep up, with their top scorers Hussein and Mohamed facing relentless defensive pressure. Djibouti, despite moments of individual flair, found themselves consistently overwhelmed by the hosts’ superior tactics, size, and home support.
Seychelles closed out the match in dominant fashion, maintaining a fast pace and ending the game with a resounding 117-15 victory. With this dominant opening win, Seychelles has set the bar high and look like strong contenders for a medal in the basketball discipline. Their next matches will be closely watched as they aim to build on this momentum and keep the national flag flying high in the regional youth games.
The girls also had Djibouti for opponents for a first outing but they hardly displayed the same swagger as the boys’ team, opening the their CJSOI campaign with a hard-fought 49-31 victory in a tense encounter earlier on the day.
The girls were made to work for the victory as Djibouti coming all out for most of the match, leaving the game on a knife’s edge until the final quarter. The first quarter saw Seychelles narrowly lead 11-10, with both teams showing signs of nervous energy and struggling to establish rhythm.
Djibouti’s defensive structure disrupted Seychelles’ flow, forcing them into rushed shots and multiple turnovers. The second quarter was even tighter, with Seychelles managing just 6 points to Djibouti’s 5, bringing the halftime score to 17-15 in favour of the host nation.
The third quarter remained scrappy and low-scoring, with Djibouti temporarily overtaking Seychelles 12-13 for the period, showing real threat through players like Mohamed and Houssein, who found gaps in the defense and converted from various angles on the court.
However, in the fourth and final quarter Seychelles finally found their spark. Led by their captain Dupres — who was instrumental in driving the attack and controlling the tempo, Seychelles outscored Djibouti 19-14 in the final period to close out the game. Fontaine and Fanchette added valuable points and energy, helping stretch the lead as Djibouti struggled with foul trouble and fatigue.
Though far from a polished performance, the Seychelles girls displayed resilience and mental strength to pull through for a rare international win. With this narrow but important win under their belt, there is hope that it will build momentum and allow them to progress deeper into the tournament.
