Ministry of Youth and Sports (Mauritius)
| Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1969 |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Mauritius |
| Headquarters | Citadelle Mall, Port Louis |
| Ministers responsible |
|
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | mys.govmu.org |
The Ministry of Youth and Sports (French: Ministère de la Jeunesse et des Sports) is a ministry in the government of Mauritius responsible for youth and sports.[1]
Deven Nagalingum of the Mauritian Militant Movement is the incumbent minister since November 2024, having been appointed by prime minister Navin Ramgoolam under his fourth government.[2] Karen Foo Kune serves as the junior minister for the ministry.[3]
History
Following the coalition government between the Labour Party and the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate in December 1969, the ministry of Youth and Sports was established for the first time.[4] Raymond Rault from the Labour Party became its first minister. He would remain in office until 1971, when he was replaced by Dayanundlall Basant Rai. Basant Rai would served as minister until 1976, when he was replaced by Hurrydew Ramchurn.
Under Anerood Jugnauth's first government, Diwakur Bundhun of the Mauritian Militant Movement was appointed as minister until he resigned in March 1983 after a mass resignation triggered by a split within the coalition government. Sylvio Michel would replace him and in turn would serve until August 1983.
Michael Glover, a physical education teacher by profession, from the Labour Party became minister and would hold the office for the entirety of Jugnauth's first stint as prime minister until 1995. He was the longest-serving minister.[5] The ministry's portfolio title was modified in 1988 after the tourism portfolio was transferred to Glover and became known as the ministry of Youth, Sports and Tourism until 1991 when it reverted back to its original title.
In 2019, the ministry's portfolio title was once more modified to Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation under Pravind Jugnauth's second government. The focus of the youth section of the ministry was modified to youth empowerment.[4] Stephan Toussaint, who was appointed in 2017 under Pravind's first government, remained in office as minister until 2024.
Deven Nagalingum was appointed as minister by Navin Ramgoolam in November 2024 and subsequently, the ministry's portfolio title reverted to simply the ministry of Youth and Sports.
Responsibilities
Within the sports area, the ministry is responsible for the promotion of sports and ensure opportunity for all citizens to practice any sports whether for recreation or competition. The creation and development of sports infrastructure and facilities are also within its responsibilities. The ministry also provides incentives, whether financial or technical, to athletes to participate in various competitions at various levels and to sport federations within the country for promotion and development of their respective disciplines.[4]
The ministry's responsibilities for the youth include providing opportunities for them to develop their personal and social skills and empower their leadership skills. Psychological and economic empowerment, with special emphasis on mental, emotional, innovation and entrepreneurial aspects, are espoused by the ministries through various youth programmes.[4]
Organisation
Departments
The ministry is divided between two departments:
- Sports Section
- Youth Section
Bodies
Youth Section
Sports Section
- Sports Medical Unit
- National Anti-Doping Organisation of Mauritius (NADO Mauritius)[8]
- Club Maurice Company Ltd
- Mauritius Sports Council
- Trust Fund for Excellence in Sports (TFES)[9]
- Commission Nationale du Sport Féminin (CNSF)[10]
List of ministers
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Portfolio name | Party | Prime minister | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | |||||||
| Raymond Rault | 27 December 1969 |
August 1971 |
Youth and Sports | PTr | S. Ramgoolam | |||
| Dayanundlall Basant Rai | August 1971 |
27 December 1976 |
PTr | |||||
| Hurrydew Ramchurn | 27 December 1976 |
15 June 1982 |
PTr | |||||
| Diwakur Bundhun | 15 June 1982 |
22 March 1983 |
MMM | A. Jugnauth | [11] [12] | |||
| Sylvio Michel | 28 March 1983 |
27 August 1983 |
MMM | [13] | ||||
| MSM | ||||||||
| Michael Glover | 27 August 1983 |
15 August 1988 |
PTr | [14] | ||||
| 15 August 1988 |
27 September 1991 |
Youth, Sports and Tourism | MSM | |||||
| 27 September 1991 |
22 December 1995 |
Youth and Sports | ||||||
| Navin Soonarane | 30 December 1995 |
25 October 1998 |
PTr | N. Ramgoolam | [15] [16] [17] | |||
| Marie Claude Arouff-Parfait | 25 October 1998 |
15 September 2000 |
PTr | [18] | ||||
| Ravi Yerrigadoo | 18 September 2000 |
5 July 2005 |
MSM | A. Jugnauth | [19] [20] | |||
| Bérenger | ||||||||
| Sylvio Tang | 7 July 2005 |
13 September 2008 |
PTr | N. Ramgoolam | [21] | |||
| Devanand Ritoo | 13 September 2008 |
13 December 2014 |
PTr | [21] | ||||
| Yogida Sawmynaden | 15 December 2014 |
23 January 2017 |
MSM | A. Jugnauth | [22] | |||
| Stephan Toussaint | 23 January 2017 |
12 November 2019 |
MSM | P. Jugnauth | [23] | |||
| 12 November 2019 |
12 November 2024 |
Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation | ||||||
| Deven Nagalingum | 22 November 2024 |
Incumbent | Youth and Sports | MMM | N. Ramgoolam | [24] | ||
References
- ^ "Annual Report on Performance - Fiscal Year 2017/2018" (PDF). mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "The Minister". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Junior Minister". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Annual Report on Performance for the Financial Year 2023–2024" (PDF). mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Michael Glover: «Quand je vois qu'on dépense plus de Rs 350 millions pour s'associer à Liverpool (…)". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ^ "National Youth Council". nyc.govmu.org. National Youth Council. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Recreation". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "National Anti-Doping Organisation". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Trust Fund for Excellence in Sports". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Commission Nationale du Sport Féminin". mys.govmu.org. Ministry of Youth and Sports. Retrieved 28 October 2025.
- ^ "Après le triomphe électorale de la gauche M. Aneerood Jugnauth est nommé premier ministre". lemonde.fr (in French). Le Monde. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "11 ministres démissionnent du gouvernement MMM-PSM". lexpress.mu (in French). L'Express. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Nine new ministers join Jugnauth's government". Le Mauricien. 28 March 1983. Retrieved 28 February 2025 – via Sub-Saharan Africa Report, No. 2818, 7 July 1983, pp. 31-32.
- ^ "Prime Minister Reshuffles Cabinet 15 Aug". Agence-France Presse. 15 August 1988. Retrieved 16 February 2025 – via FBIS Daily Report Sub-Saharan Africa, 16 August 1988, p. 6.
- ^ "Mauritius: Opposition election victory". Keesing's Record of World Events. December 1995. p. 40854. Retrieved 9 September 2025 – via Keesing's Record of World Events 1995: Vol 41 Iss 12.
- ^ "Mauritius: Government changes". Keesing's Record of World Events. July 1997. p. 41721. Retrieved 29 August 2025 – via Keesing's Record of World Events 1997: Vol 43 7-8.
- ^ "Mauritius: Keep it small". Africa Intelligence. 30 November 1996. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "Mauritius: Government and Politics". Political Handbook of the World 2014. 2014. p. 927. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "Mauritius: New President and Cabinet". Keesing's Record of World Events. October 2003. p. 45633. Retrieved 9 September 2025 – via Keesing's Record of World Events 2003: Vol 49 Iss 10.
- ^ "Mauritius: Government changes". Keesing's Record of World Events. December 2003. pp. 45729–45730. Retrieved 9 September 2025 – via Keesing's Record of World Events 2003: Vol 49 Iss 12.
- ^ a b "Elected members of Legislative Election 2005". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Elected members of Legislative Election 2014". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "List of Honourable Members - National Assembly Elections 2019". mauritiusassembly.govmu.org. Mauritius National Assembly. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
- ^ "Press Release - Office of the President". facebook.com. GIS Mauritius. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2025.