Islands Games: fourth ! what a poor rank

After a squeezing domination during the seventh Islands Games which it organized, Madagascar has fallen through in the Seychelles in 2011. The miserable fourth rank was however quite deserved since the Great Isle produced a poor performance while small islands took a major step forward, and trained new champions. The record is undisputable: in 2007, Madagascar has won 100 gold medals far ahead of the first runner up, Reunion. In 2011, the green-white-red delegation collected 35 gold medals, the fourth just before Mauritius, and was surprisingly crushed by the Seychelles (57) and Reunion (58).

The Malagasy collapse however shadows neither the Seychelles´ excellent nor their courageous defense of their flag. Gold medals in men´s basketball man and especially in football granted due pride to the Seychelles´ people. They did winn their small World Cup. In the end, the host country is surprisingly standing neck and neck with the Reunion, by having the same number of gold medals on the eve of the competition´s last day. Meanwhile, Madagascar can not even hope any third place win against Mauritius.

There will be no many Malagasy victories to be remembered. The flag bearer, the judoka Norbert Elias, has though set the tone by winning the first gold medal. Thereafter, Madagascar was reduced to the role of onlooker: shipwreck in Swimming,  great disappointment in table tennis, mixed fortunes in boxing, fair participation in cycling, nothing  either in weight lifting nor in volleyball. Despite this gloomy picture, the Great Isle collected a dozen gold medals anyway. Women basketball produced consolation for the honor of the country.

In athletics, the Malagasy supremacy was of course challenged, but athletes had the heart to catch up on other disciplines. Our champions, particularly the experienced those in their thirties, did their job. The African record champion Randriamihaja Berlioz was racing for the medal and not for the record time at the 100m men hurdles. Doris Ratsimbazafy, triple gold shot putting medalist in 2007, overcame the pain in his hand and threw further than his opponents. Hats off to Roza Rakotozafy in the 100m hurdles race. After six years off and a happy event, the African record double champion produced a stunning and victorious come back in 34 years old. The invincible Clarisse Rasoarizay still holds on in the long distance race. Olga Razanamalala, a resident trainee in Mauritius, represented the impressive youngest ones.

Madagascar away from the Indian Ocean´s Islands Games; bookmakers would have massively lost their shirts. In the country itself, the competition did erect no passionate follow up although the national television channel broadcasted it live in cooperation with the ARTOI, and despite regular results from private channels. It was though the first ever large scale cover up granted to Malagasy channels. The men basketball team´s withdrawal and the football team´s defeat largely created the stir of the Indian Ocean´s 8th Islands Games.