confusion and indignation three months before the Games of the Islands

The whole of the South Indian Ocean basin and in particular Reunion awaited this final visit to Madagascar with a firm footing. In the end, the International Games Council decided. Seven disciplines out of 24 ousted from the competition. 17 remaining for the 11th Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG). Three months before the games, the situation is bitter for many athletes and many questions remain unanswered…(Photo rb/www.imazpress.com)

The International Games Council (ICJ) of Madagascar issued its decision after several days of meetings in Ivandry. The 11th edition of the games will take place on the scheduled dates, but it will take seven disciplines less, as we announced. A real blow for athletes who have been preparing for months or even years for this competition.

Read also – Island Games 2023: several disciplines withdrawn from the program

– Athletes on the sidelines –

Surfing, archery, sailing, taekwondo, rugby 15, kick-boxing, beach soccer, horse riding and beach volleyball have been squeezed out. Also note that there will also be no women’s football or women’s boxing.

The Regional Riding Committee, through its president Samuel Silotia, was the first to react to our request. The president of CRE said he learned with “great surprise” the withdrawal of equestrian sports from the Games of the Islands this year, which he describes as “sad news”.

Daniel Blondy, president of the Reunion rugby committee, is not surprised by this choice. “Out of 25 disciplines, it was to be expected that some would fall by the wayside”. But, “we are disappointed for the XV which obviously had prepared for the games”, declares Daniel Blondy, president of the Reunion rugby league. “For some, these games were the last competition of their careers,” he adds.

The Reunion sailing league will also have to remain moored at the port. “For two years we had conflicting information, but until the end we fought for these games.” The Malagasy system for distilling information has been terrible to live with in terms of pressure,” he adds.

In the sailing world, “we are very disappointed that it cannot take place, especially since we regularly have inter-island meetings between the Seychelles, Mauritius and Reunion”. “Especially since we hoped to integrate Madagascar into this dynamic”, adds the league president. A dynamic “that we will continue to implement so that Mada can join us”.

“What is important for us (note – the sailing league) is that the athletes are not disappointed but we were prepared for it to happen and for it not to happen.”

Florence Noël, president of the Reunion volleyball league, also reacted to the withdrawal of beach volleyball from the JIOI, in particular in the face of the uncertainty as to whether or not this discipline will be definitively withdrawn. “We don’t know if it’s retained or not, it’s not final,” she said.

– “We blame the blow” –

Johan Guillou, president of the basketball league, is not on the list of ousted from the games. But that does not prevent him from being reassembled in the face of this organization or rather this disorganization. “From the start they had eyes bigger than their stomachs. Removing sports three months from the games is huge, we think of those who had prepared.” “How many kids thought they were representing Reunion,” he says.

Same disappointment on the side of the surf luge. “We are extremely disappointed”, declares, dismayed, Thierry Martineau, president of the league. Surfing which, this year, was to make its debut in the JIOI, after its registration for the Olympic Games. “Athletes, leaders, volunteers, we have been preparing for almost a year, we even sent a delegation in March for an internship in Fort-Dauphin (place which was to host the surfing competitions).

“We take the hit,” he said. “Beyond all this, for us, these are not the values ​​that the sports movement defends. When you make the decision to organize the games in a given time, it is not at three months that you say no, there won’t be these sports. I find that even disrespectful,” adds Thierry Martineau. “It’s unfortunate. We’ve been around for a year, if we don’t feel able to play the games, we don’t take them,” he protests.

And if an alternative has been mentioned by the CIJ, “we will not go”. “Reunionese surfing is withdrawing from the Island Games.”

– A political matter down there? –

For Dominique Alincourt, president of the sailing league, the forthcoming holding of presidential elections in Madagascar is not unrelated to this decision. “We were taken hostage by the Malagasy because President Rajoel and the current president of the Olympic Committee will face each other in November.”

Johan Guillou, president of the Reunion basketball league, is worried about a political and sports crisis. “In my view, politics is taking over instead of the games committee and that worries me.”

“I’m not blaming Cros, it shouldn’t be easy to be there surrounded by a government that wants to impose its games,” he concludes.

For Thierry Martineau, as for some league presidents, “I think it’s a bit geopolitical, especially with the elections to be held in November”.

– 7 on the floor, 17 who remain… but no details for all that –

For those who stay – athletics, badminton, basketball, football, swimming, boxing, cycling, weightlifting, handball, karate, judo, wrestling, petanque, rugby union , tennis, table tennis or even volleyball – if the participation in the games is well and truly recorded, serenity is not however in order.

Indeed, what about infrastructure, what about housing, transport and especially security? For now, just three months away from the games, it’s a total blur.

Dominique Alincourt, president of the sailing league and also a member of the Regional Olympic and Sports Committee (Cros) said, “Cros has been working relentlessly on these games for more than two years. And we are doing everything so that these games allow our athletes to express themselves in the best conditions to achieve their dreams”.

The volleyball league – which sees beach volleyball ousted from the JIOI – still keeps indoor volleyball. A full consolation in the face of a total disorganization of the games. “I think it’s vague for everyone. From the start, things haven’t been clear, between changing dates, withdrawn disciplines, it’s totally disjointed,” she said. While adding, “it is difficult to take our bearings”.

Afterwards, as Florence Noël says, “in any case the athletes keep their spirits up and we will go all the way to perform, despite the anxieties, the uncertainty and a lot of frustration”. “We stay focused even if we are navigating troubled waters,” concludes the league president.

Johan Guillou, president of the basketball league, is worried. “They say they are centralizing on Tana for security issues, that does not build confidence. In what framework are we going to leave?”

The league president also protests against a “messy” organization. “We are leaving in three months in a place where we know nothing, it’s serious.”

A disorganization such as Johan Guillou asked himself the question of going or not really to the Games of the islands. “It doesn’t make you want to go, afterwards, the players want to go, it’s normal, it’s their sporting objective, but we, in the shadows, we almost don’t want to go. there under these conditions,” said the league president. “And even out of solidarity, we ask ourselves the question,” he said.

– Madagascar wants to be confident –

Claude Villendeuil, president of the Regional Olympic and Sports Committee of Reunion (Cros) – after his visit to Madagascar to discuss with the games commission – is mixed. “I’m happy the games are done, but we still have big uncertainties.” Afterwards, he said, wanting to be reassuring, “on the equipment and the accommodation, I believe that Mada has the capacity to do it and to present it on time”.

Another concern is security. “Mada wanted to bring everyone together on Tana and it’s not for nothing.” “They felt that in the capital they had enough police resources to be able to ensure the security of foreign delegations, after that it is not 100% security,” said the president of Cros.

He adds, “the president of Madagascar said it, he wants the games to be done, and that’s reassuring”.

For their part, the Madagascar teams want to be reassuring. Neither the ousted sports, nor the approximate organization will be able to taint the optimism of the Malagasy organizers, confident in the possibility of their country to offer quality infrastructures acceptable to all.

“Here in Madagascar no one asks this question anymore. We still have work to do, but we are determined. Above all, we have the full support of the government”, assures André Haja Resampa, Minister of Youth and Sports. Madagascan, also president of the organizing committee of the Games of the islands of the Indian Ocean.

On the infrastructure side, here too the government of Madagascar says it has everything under control, in particular thanks to the support of the Chinese government, which has offered sports equipment.

“We have already made good progress, and we have, in addition to Barea Stadium, the architectural jewel of the Indian Ocean in terms of sport, 18 gymnasiums across the country, and several stadiums. We will complete the infrastructure that remains still to rehabilitate, but we have passed the hardest part and we are unstoppable”, proudly declared André Haja Resampa, to our colleagues from Réunion La 1ère.

However, there is still a long way to go… But what is certain is that the athletes will be able to remember these 11th Indian Ocean Island Games.

Read also – Madagascar: the Games of the Islands will be held (and it is sure) from August 25 to September 3, 2023

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Reunion News, Sport, Island Games