The scholarships, provided in order to support the athletes' preparation prior to their Rio 2016 selections, covers athletes from the six sports of athletics, boxing, judo, sailing, swimming and weightlifting.

Among the six is Seychelles' London 2012 Olympic Flagbearer and judo player, Dominic Dugasse, who won a silver medal at this year's African Open in Mauritius.

Sportswoman of the year, weightlifter Clementina Agricole, is also included following a superb fourth place finish in the women's under 58kg competition at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The other recipients are the 2012 World Junior Championship high jump silver medallist, Lissa Labiche, the African Boxing Cup gold medal winner, Andrique Allisop, as well as boxer Keddy Agnes, sprinter Joanne Loutoy, sailor Rodney Govinden and swimmer Adam Viktora. 

Clementina Agricole, pictured competing at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games, receives the scholarship after a fourth place finish at Glasgow 2014 ©Getty Images



The athletes signed their contracts in front of their fellow scholarship holders, coaches and sports federations, with Seychelles Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association President Antonio Gopal undersigning each contract to reinforce the promise the Committee made to provide assistance.

Seychelles, a member of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, has never won an Olympic medal, but sent a six-strong squad to London 2012 competing in athletics, swimming and boxing as well as judo. 

Although they drew a blank at Glasgow 2014, Seychelles have also won six Commonwealth Games medals, three silver and three bronze, with the most recent one being a silver for under 69kg weightlifter Janet Marie Georges at Delhi 2010.

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