With less than a year to go before the Indian Ocean Island Games (JIOI), Mauritius has just kicked off its preparations. This mobilization has prompted the National Technical Director of Malagasy athletics, Tsiry Manantena Rakotomalala, to question the current state of readiness in Madagascar.
The contrast is striking. While the JIOI will take place in the Comoros from August 10 to 19, 2027, Mauritius is already organizing its first gathering for pre-selected athletes. Scheduled at the Pandit Sahadeo gymnasium in Vacoas, this event aims to bring together athletes from various disciplines to foster a collective dynamic.
The program includes team-building activities followed by an official ceremony to symbolically launch the countdown for the Mauritian preparation—a strong signal with less than a year to go before the regional event.
In Madagascar, this initiative has not gone unnoticed. “Where do we really stand in our preparation? Mauritius is starting to unite its pre-selected athletes around a common project. What about Madagascar? Have the athletes called upon to defend the national colors already been identified? Are training camps scheduled? And above all, do the federations have visibility on the resources that will be mobilized?” asks Tsiry Manantena Rakotomalala.
For the National Technical Director of the Malagasy Athletics Federation, the issue is not just about the calendar, but also about the resources and strategy to be implemented. For athletics, a discipline that traditionally provides medals, time is running out.
Faced with opponents who are already structuring their preparations, Madagascar cannot afford to wait. With less than a year until the JIOI, the countdown is also a countdown for the decisions that need to be made.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-31 05:38:35 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/jioi-2027-preparation-tsiry.html