The official outfit, flag-bearer and the captains of the Mauritian delegation proceeding to the upcoming 13th edition of the African Games, hosted by Ghana, from 08 to 23 March this year, in Accra, were presented, on Wednesday morning, at the Helvetia Youth Hub.
The 65 Mauritian athletes participating in the African Games will be groomed in the sports attire designed by the official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Le Coq Sportif company.
Ms Kate Foo Kune Ludik, the flag-bearer, will carry the Mauritian flag during the ceremony. Moreover, Ms Ketty Lent and Mr Jean Ian Carre have been selected as captains of the Mauritian delegation.
A sponsorship agreement between the Club Maurice and three sponsors namely, the SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd, the SICOM Group and the Mauritius Telecom, was also signed on this occasion.
In his address, the Chairperson of Club Maurice, Mr Giandev Moteea, underpinned the overarching objective of the 13th African Games in fostering the development of young African athletes whilst cultivating solidarity and regional integration. He further dwelt on the imperativeness of endowing the athletes with core values encompassing patriotism, fair play, team spirit and the winning spirit.
Besides, Mr Moteea informed that the 13th African Games will comprise of eight Olympic Qualifier Sports, 15 Non-Olympic Qualifier Sports and seven Demonstration Sports. The Mauritian athletes, he pointed out, will compete in 13 disciplines notably, athletics, arm wrestling, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, judo, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling. They have all been adequately trained in and equipped with the necessary competencies, in their respective fields, by the Team Mauritius, he added.
Additionally, Mr Moteea extended his appreciation for and delved into the collaboration of the three sponsors in the undertaking of this sports endeavour.
He recalled that Mauritius bagged a total of 24 medals during the 2019 African Games, held in Morocco. In this vein, he expressed hope for a better performance for the 13th African Games.