Four athletes and one employee from Moka Smart City’s multidisciplinary club, Moka Rangers Sports Club, took part in the IOIG, winning a total of 8 medals for Mauritius.
Moka Rangers Sports Club
Moka Rangers Sports Club was launched in 2015 as an ENL Group’s initiative. This multidisciplinary club has two key objectives: enhance the range of sports on offer in the region by making Moka an active city, and help a sports elite develop in Mauritius.
Initially, Moka Rangers Sports Club was mainly involved in cycling and football. There are now some 375 athletes in a wide variety of disciplines ranging from handball to karate, fencing, archery, badminton, trail running, tennis and swimming. Moka Rangers is not just a sports club, but also an incubator for young talent, with top athletes who are committed to coaching and preparing newcomers for tomorrow’s great sporting challenges!
At one with the water
Despite being only 14 years old, Ines Gébert does not shy away from challenges. The young Mauritian won gold in the women’s 200m butterfly, silver in the400m medley and bronze in the 200m medley. “With the Games approaching, I began to feel the pressure and anxiety of taking part in a competition of such magnitude. The tremendous support from the Mauritian people caused me additional stress because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Winning the 200m butterfly was like a moment suspended in time. I was surprised by my own performance: an overall Mauritian record!” she says.
Nineteen-year-old Grégory Anodin can be just as proud of finishing second with the national team in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and third in the 50m backstroke.
“The crowd was really happy for me, and I was surprised by their enthusiasm. The Mauritian people have supported us throughout the Games and the atmosphere was just incredible.”
A superb cycling team
Yannick Lincoln and Alexandre Mayer won gold in the team time trial. Alexandre won a second gold medal in the 132.4km road race and Yannick finished third in the 18.5km time trial.
“The roadside spectators who came to encourage and congratulate us during each event also deserve a gold medal,” says Yannick.
For Alexandre, there were two main highlights: the spectators waiting in the rain on the finish line of the road race and the parade for the athletes. “I couldn’t have imagined seeing so many people,” he adds with emotion.
Sabrina Rabot, a regular competitor in the Games
For her third participation in the Games, the Mauritian cross-country champion, Sabrina Rabot ran the 400m and 800m finals in athletics. She is also the club’s secretary, taking care of various administrative tasks on weekdays and spending her time out of the office running. “I was proud to reach the finals,” she says, “especially since my children were supporting me from the stands for the first time. Sabrina shares her passion for sports with her 14-year-old son. “I will continue to participate in local trail runs, but my priority now is to show him that with discipline and focus, he can have many great experiences through sport.”
Congratulations to all our athletes and see you all for the next Indian Ocean Island Games!
Follow them on their Facebook page Moka Rangers Sport Club.
