(Seychelles News Agency) - Kite surfers took flight across the waters of Seychelles' Praslin island recently as the local Yachting Association has started organising weekly competitions in the island nation. 

Kitesurfing is a wind-powered sport popular on beaches around the world but one that has not yet taken off in big numbers in Seychelles. Kite surfers use a kite and a board to propel themselves across the water.

The competition is being organised in two series, Cup A and Cup B.  

The chairman of the Seychelles Yachting Association, Alain Alcindor, said the competition had been in the making for some time but could not start in view of the health restrictions in place in Seychelles amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"As such sports involve little contact between competitors, we were given the go-ahead to begin our season. For now, though, we have had more interest from the men and so we will not have two separate categories for male and female," said Alcindor.

He said that the competition is being held in the waters around Praslin because of a lack of space available near the main island of Mahe.

With the introduction of kite surfing competition, now watersports enthusiasts will have the chance to test their mettle in a new discipline in Seychelles, an archipelago surrounded by vast marine territory.

"We have had a lot of interest so far, where many young surfers have come forward ready to learn and compete," said the Seychelles Yachting Association chairman Alain Alcindor.

Alcindor pointed out that the main difficulty they have encountered in setting up this sport in Seychelles has been the lack of equipment, which could affect the number of entrants that can compete in races.

"They are very enthusiastic to make their debut in the sport and we hope that they can excel and represent Seychelles at an international level," said Alcindor.