VICTORIA, Seychelles, Seychelles is expected to benefit from additional support for sports from Russia following discussions between Minister for Youth, Sports and Family Marie-Celine Zialor and her Russian counterpart, Minister for Sports Oleg Matytsin. The talks took place on the margins of the Games of the Future held in Kazan, Russia. Both ministers agreed to set up a working group to advance the proposed areas of cooperation.
Minister Zialor expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the ongoing support in sports that Russia has been providing to Seychelles through its embassy and ambassador, Artem Kozhin. The two ministers discussed ways in which that cooperation could be deepened, with a particular focus on the preparation of the Seychelles national team for the Beach Soccer World Cup, which the country is scheduled to host in 2025. Minister Zialor briefed her counterpart on the progress made so far in the local preparations for the tournament.
Russia has indicated its willingness to assist with infrastructure development and coaching for the Seychelles national beach soccer team in the run-up to the tournament. The existing collaboration with Rostov was cited by Minister Zialor as a strong example of cooperation that has brought good results for Seychellois boxers, adding that Seychelles would like to continue and build on that relationship. She noted that technical assistance from Russia would help local athletes to compete at the highest level on home sand in 2025.
During her mission, Minister Zialor also visited several sporting facilities in Kazan, which is widely regarded as the sports capital of Russia. These included the Palace of Water Sports and the Kazan Tennis Academy of the Volga Region. She held separate bilateral discussions centred on possible exchange and training programmes for Seychellois students at sports universities in Kazan and Moscow.
Minister Zialor expressed hope for the development of sports tourism and for the participation of Seychellois athletes in upcoming events in Russia, as well as for support with scientific research in the field of sport, particularly for people with limited mobility. She also met with the Minister for Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rinat Nailevich, with whom she discussed programmes for youth development, especially in the arts. The accompanying photographs released by the ministry show some of the highlights of the mission.
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