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Bank of Mauritius Inter Club Youth Championships 2014: Message from the Second Deputy Governor

I extend a warm welcome to all athletes to this 8th Edition of the Bank of Mauritius Inter Club Youth Championships 2014. This Championship has become a much awaited annual event in the sports calendar in Mauritius and has attracted the interest of youngsters into athletics since it was launched in 2007. It has also offered an opportunity to unearth young potential talents and create a breeding ground for future champions who have so far represented Mauritius in competitions at the international level such as the World Youth Olympic Games, Youth Indian Ocean Island Games and youth African Games. I am pleased to learn that the renovation of the track of the Maryse Justin Stadium has been completed just in time for the Bank of Mauritius Inter Club Youth Championships to be held here and I would wish to commend the efforts put by the members of the Mauritius Athletic Association.

In this year’s event we are expecting around 1,000 participants: 650 athletes from 26 different clubs in Mauritius and 350 athletes from clubs in Rodrigues. This championship was extended to Rodrigues in 2009 with a view to enable an increasing number of participants. The various disciplines of this competition not only provide a good opportunity for aspiring athletes to compete at par with the athletes in Mauritius but also promote a healthy lifestyle among children in age from 9 to 15 years . These young athletes would thrive their sporting potential by the height of their aspirations in the two-day competition.

Preliminaries were held in Rodrigues on Saturday 8 November 2014 and fifteen best athletes have been selected to come to Mauritius to participate with their Mauritian counterparts. Since the maiden edition of the Rodrigues Inter Club Youth Championship in 2009, the number of participants has increased continuously to around 350 this year. All the costs of these athletes as well as two officials from Rodrigues in respect of air tickets and accommodation are funded by the Bank.

Since 2011 a number of commercial banks operating in Mauritius have joined hands in cosponsoring this event. The sponsorship has helped us to accompany for a period of one year four best athletes of the Inter Club Youth Championships from Mauritius as well as four from Rodrigues for their expenses on education, sports equipment, medical treatment, insurance and transportation. A prize giving ceremony is also held every year at the Bank to reward athletes who set national records in any of the disciplines of this Championship.

The following national records were established in 2013:

            Relay 4x50 m - Girls(in the category of colt) in 31.11s established by Jane Brabant, Selena Ramsamy, Laeticia Favory and Anastasia Monique of the Beau Bassin Athletic as compared to the previous record of 32.08s and

            Pentathlon –Boys (in the category of minim) with 161 points established by Bryan Tonta of Rose-Hill Athletic Club, improving his previous record of 155 points.

We are very pleased to note that an increasing number of young athletes have emerged from this championships and who have excelled at both the local and international front.

I would like to thank the Organising Committee of the Mauritius Athletics Association, the Sports Committee of the Bank of Mauritius and reiterate my sincere appreciation to commercial banks who have responded positively for co-sponsoring this Inter Club Youth Championship, which bears testimony of our commitment to the youth of our country.

I wish all participating athletes the best of luck.