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A ceremony was held this afternoon at State House, where President Dr Patrick Herminie handed over air tickets to a group of young Seychellois footballers who will soon depart for France under the FIFA Elite Academy programme, “Developing Future Seychellois Football Excellence through Higher Education and High-Performance Training.”

The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Office of the President, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Family and Equality, parents, and the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF).

During the ceremony, Mr Dolor Enersta, Vice-President of the Seychelles Football Federation, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Seychelles for its commitment to the development of the country’s youth. He highlighted that the programme is the first of its kind in Africa and thanked FIFA, a partner of the Seychelles Football Federation, for its support in helping to make the dreams of young Seychellois footballers a reality.

He also expressed appreciation to the Embassy of France in Seychelles for its unwavering support, as well as to L’École Française for its assistance to the young footballers.

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Parents’ Committee representative Mr Terrence Tirant delivered a vote of thanks, sincerely thanking President Herminie and the Vice-President for their commitment to the project. He also conveyed the parents’ appreciation to the Government for its support in making the initiative possible, adding that Seychellois remain resilient and positive.

The young footballers are scheduled to depart Seychelles on Monday and will spend the next ten months in France undertaking high-performance football training alongside their educational development.

Also in attendance at the ceremony were Minister for Social Affairs, Family and Equality, Mrs Pamela Charlette,Minister for Youth and Sports, Ms Kalsey Belle,Secretary of State Mrs Linda William-Melanie, Mme Charlotte Waryel from the French Embassy, and members of the Seychelles Football Federation.