Dominoes-Unity back as top flight champs, Police second division winners |15 December 2010

Unity have finished the season on 47 points after 15 wins, a loss and two draws, while runners-up Tryers collected 14 wins, three draws and a loss for 43 points.

Speaking to Sports Nation, former footballer John Alcindor said: “We played well throughout the season and I’m sure we will win all the competitions next year.”

Anse Boileau (31 points), Silhouette (27 points), Quincy Village (25 points), Cascade (23 points), Baie Lazare (23 points), Anse Aux Pins (19 points), La Salette (18 points) and English River (three points) occupy third to 10th positions.

Last year’s second division winners La Salette will head back to the bottom division next season accompanied by English River.

This is the second time in three years La Salette have made the drop to the bottom division.

They will be replaced in the upper echelon by Seychelles Police and Anse Boileau ‘B’.

In only their second year, the Seychelles Police team dominated their opponents in the second division, which they won with 32 points after 10 wins, two draws and two losses.

The remaining five places are occupied by Anse Boileau ‘B’ (second with 27 points), Seychelles Breweries (third with 24 points), Mont Buxton (fourth with 24 points) and SPDF (fifth with 18 points).

Seychelles Police also won the prize for the most improved team and one of their players – Armantal Finesse – has been named male player of the year.

“It has been a very good season for me and the Seychelles Police team. We played and gave our best. I’m happy to win the player of the year title,” Finesse, 30, told Sports Nation.

The women’s best player title has gone to Thelma Pierre-Louis – a former volleyballer of the year and Sportswoman of the Year 1986.

“I did not expect to win the title. I think it’s the number of kapot I gave that helped me win it,” said the 43-year-old.

A member of the Anse Boileau ‘B’ team, Pierre-Louis also finished as the best female scorer (kapot difference of +11: 21 for and 10 against), while Tryers’ Paul Labiche took the prize for the best male scorer (kapot difference of +20: 33 for and 13 against).

The two runners-up for the player of the year awards are Brenda Finesse (female) and Anselme Arnephy (male).

Unity also won the One-day tournament ahead of Cascade, who then triumphed in the Regional Cup against Baie Lazare. Mont Buxton went home with the Federation Cup, beating Seychelles Breweries in the final.

This year’s best coach is Philip Esparon of Seychelles Police, the best official is Anselme Arnephy and the best volunteer Fabien Belle.

Speaking at the prizegiving ceremony at Anse Boileau community centre on Saturday night, the National Sports Council’s Federations management and development division director Robert Auguste congratulated the Seychelles Dominoes Federation on running another successful and exciting season.

He urged domino players to take part as volunteers in next year’s Indian Ocean Island Games to help the country’s sporting family succeed in organising the event.

Cup winners and runners-up of the year 2010
First division league: Unity (winners), Tryers (runners-up)
Second division league: Seychelles Police (winners), Anse Boileau ‘B’ (runners-up)
One-day tournament: Unity (winners), Cascade (runners-up)
Regional Cup: Cascade (winners), Baie Lazare (runners-up)
Federation Cup: Mont Buxton (winners), Seychelles Breweries (runners-up)
Independence Cup: La Salette (winners), Anse Boileau (runners-up)
Closing Cup: Anse Aux Pins (winners), Tryers (runners-up)
La Digue Cup: Seychelles Police (winners), Seychelles Breweries (runners-up)
Praslin Cup: Unity (winners), Seychelles Breweries (runners-up)

G. G.