As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025™, TiKay™ has been unveiled as the tournament’s Official Mascot.
TiKay takes his name from the French word for small, “petit”, and the short form of the Seychellois Creole word for scales. The beach soccer-loving tortoise has quite the backstory. Born amongst the dunes of the Seychelles’ powdery white sands, he embodies the spectacular beaches, local culture and biodiversity of the host nation and its pristine surrounding waters.
The time has come for TiKay to represent the Seychelles and share his passion for beach soccer with the world. Charismatic, spirited and energetic, the Official Mascot radiates the family-friendly vibes and excitement that have become synonymous with the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™.
With the President of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, in attendance, TiKay made his bow at the stunning Beau Vallon beach during a beach soccer clinic held to promote the game among local youngsters, with the mascot championing fair play, environmental awareness and national pride. Bounding with infectious energy, TiKay took centre stage at the event, which brought together more than 40 children, coaches and members of the Seychellois beach soccer national team.
Several other distinguished guests were also present to witness TiKay’s unveiling, including the Minister for Youth, Sports, and Family Marie-Céline Zialor, and Principal Secretary for Youth and Sports Development, Ralph Jean-Louis among them.
Speaking at the event, Mr Jean-Louis said: “It is a real pleasure to make TiKay’s acquaintance, such a lovely passionate young guy. He is truly the perfect person to get us all in the mood for this monumental event. His presence was obviously very well appreciated by the kids, and the event itself was such a wonderful initiative as part of the Be Active campaign, encouraging youngsters to be more active and take better care of their health.”
The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was first held in 2005 and took place every two years between 2009 and 2021, with the forthcoming edition to be the 13th instalment.
The maiden FIFA competition to be held in the Seychelles, the event will take place from 1 to 11 May in Victoria, on the island of Mahé. The global showpiece will be hosted by a CAF member association for the first time and follows hot on the heels of the hugely successful FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai™, which was attended by more than 70,000 fans.
Fellow CAF representatives Mauritania and Senegal have booked their places alongside the host nation for the 16-team extravaganza, which promises to be an unforgettable celebration of beach soccer. Belarus, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Tahiti complete the line-up of national teams who have punched their tickets for the competition, with five spots left to play for.
