Seychelles is aiming at winning more gold medals at the 2023 Special Olympic World Games scheduled to take place in Berlin, Germany, from June 17 to June 25.

Team Seychelles got its send off in a ceremony on Saturday at the L'Escale Resort for the delegation of 18 members. The Seychelles' flag was handed over by the sports minister, Marie Celine Zialor to the flag bearers, Anil Antat and Suzie Sarakiya.

Seychelles is competing with a team of 10 athletes, where they will compete in four disciplines, namely bocce, athletics and powerlifting.

The team left Seychelles on Monday morning, headed by coach Erica Celeste.

"I think we can do well, although some of the athletes will be going out for the first time, so we will have to work with them to ensure they are ready, but I think they will perform and we can do well," said Celeste.

The sports minister handed over the flag to the flag bearers, Anil Antat (left) and Suzie Sarakiya. (Sedrick Nicette) Photo License: CC-BY

For the island nation in the western Indian Ocean, this will be another chance to win more gold medals. In the World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019, Seychellois athlete Roland Jeannevol won a gold medal in the shot put while Suzie Sarakiya won a silver medal in the 100 metres race.

At the ceremony on Saturday, was the chief executive for the National Sports Council (NSC), Marc Arrisol, who shared that NSC contributed 10 plane tickets for the delegation.

Arrisol said that as was the case in the past, "we are expecting more gold medals to make our small country proud."

He also revealed plans for NSC to make sports facilities more inclusive, which will ensure these athletes are able to access such facilities.

Speaking to the athletes, the sports minister, Zialor expressed her desire to see the local Special Olympics programme get back to where it was before.

She said that since last year, the ministry has been working with all local partners "to reignite such initiatives and use sports to get people with special needs to flourish at an early age."

The Special Olympics World Games is an international sports event for participants with intellectual disabilities. It is organised by the International Olympic Committee recognised by the Special Olympics organisation.

Around 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will participate in 24 sports events at the 16^th Special Olympic World Games.