LIKE it has been the case over the past years, Seychellois mentally and physically disabled athletes – 123 altogether – are to participate in this year's sixth edition of the Special Olympic Seychelles' National Games under the theme: Our Success is Your Joy.

The participants, who will surely earn the hearts of the spectators for their remarkable bravery, determination and perseverance, will, during the three days of competition,   put into practice what they have learned and fine-tuned over the past months.

The athletes to be involved in the different activities come from the Rehabilitation Centre, the School for the Exceptional Child, Praslin and La Digue but they will compete according to regions  – North, South-West, East, Central and Praslin-La Digue.

Friday night's official opening ceremony could well be the highlight of the sixth edition of the National Games.

Athletes and coaches will parade on Stad Popiler's tartan track to await the arrival of the Olympic torch which is to be carried by Bernard Larue accompanied by coach Erica Celeste.

Larue will then pass the torch on to two other disabled athletes – Antoine Asba and Muriel Joubert – who will have the honour of lighting the Olympic flame after which the Games will officially be declared open.

Like in past editions of the Games, the evening of the official opening will be dominated by different dance performances by local cultural groups and songs performed by some of the country’s famous artistes. But the highlight of the ceremony itself will be a thrilling majorette display by the disabled athletes themselves.

Some 100 multi-coloured balloons are to be released by the athletes just before the taking of the National Games' oath which is "Let me win, but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt".

The evening will end with a colourful firework display.

Swimming, athletics, bocce and football on the programme

But if the opening ceremony will only take place at 7 p.m. tonight, the disabled athletes will be in action as early as this morning in the swimming competition at the Roche Caïman swimming pools.

The swimming competition, scheduled to start at 10 a.m., will include four different strokes – butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke – and the competitors have been divided into three categories – Open male, Open female and the 12-14 years age.

The events to be contested are the 25m and 50m freestyle, 25m backstroke, 25m and 50m breaststroke, 25m butterfly and the 4 x 25m and 4 x 50m mixed freestyle relays.

The other activities to feature on the three-day programme include athletics, bocce (petanque) and unified five-a-side football.

The bocce (petanque) tournament is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the La Promenade playing field and it will be followed in the afternoon (at 1 p.m.) by the unified five-a-side football tournament at Stad Popiler.

Both team events (football and bocce) will be played on a knockout format.

The bocce tournament has attracted eight teams while four sides have registered for the unified five-a-side football competition.

As for the athletics championship, which in the past attracted the most number of participants, it will start at 9 a.m. at Stad Popiler on Sunday.

On the programme are 67 track and field events which include soft ball throw, running and standing long jump, shot putt, 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m races, walking 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.

For the athletics competition, the disabled sportsmen and women have been divided into different age categories – 8-11 years, 12-15 years, 16-21 years , 22-29 years and 30 years and over.

It is worth noting that prior to the National Games, which are seen as an inspiration for  all disabled people of Seychelles, the participants and coaches were involved in a Mock Games last Sunday at Stad Popiler to put the final touches to the preparations.

"Because the Games are for the physically and mentally disabled people, it is necessary to have mock games to test their ability and coordination for track and field events," explained a member of the organising committee.

The fact that this year's Special Olympic Seychelles' National Games motto is Our Success is Your Joy, all participants are successful winners in their own way.

They will all receive a badge at the end of each event but the top three finishers in each event will get gold, silver and bronze medals in addition.

Meanwhile, members of the public are informed that entrance to Stad Popiler will be free and the Special Olympic Seychelles is counting on them to come and watch the special athletes, who will need maximum support and encouragement, in action.

The athletes’ parents are also being reminded to accompany their children to Stad Popiler tonight and buses will be available to transport them afterwards.

It is to note that the first Special Olympic Seychelles' National Games were held on March 29, 1987 and over 100 athletes participated.

The second, third, fourth and fifth editions of the Games were held in 1989, 1991, 1994 and 1998.

A Special Olympic Seychelles member said that since 1994 they could not organise the Games every two years because athletes and coaches were reluctant to participate.

The National Games are organised, according to the same spokesperson, to give local disabled athletes the opportunity to develop their physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their colleagues, families and the community.