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Archive -Sports

Women on top |09 October 2015

 

 

With Seychelles being in the forefront of gender equality in the region and on the continent, Seychellois women are doing better than men in many spheres of development.

It is no secret that in education girls are doing better than boys. The teaching profession and health services are being ruled by women. Community leaders are mostly women and they also dominate in the provision of social services. In the legislature women make up almost half of the law makers.

In fact the country’s investment in women and providing them with equal opportunities are propelling them to excel in other areas which were in the past predominantly the preserve of men. Sports are one of those areas where women are now coming out on top.

A look at the country’s results at the recently held 9th Indian Ocean Island Games in Reunion and 11th All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, are a clear illustration of how much of a powerhouse Seychellois women are becoming in sports.

 

 Eighteen of 25 IOIG gold medals

 

Female athletes came up with the bigger chunk of the 25 gold medals won in Reunion, in fact they won 18 medals of the gold hue through athlete Lissa Labiche (one in high jump and another in long jump), swimmers Alexus Laird (golds in 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke and  200m backstroke), Stephanie Mondon (50m freestyle handisports), table tennis player Anniessa Benstrong (women’s singles), volleyballers Petrina Victor, Melina Crispin, Yvonne Legaie, Atila Bonnelame, Jerina Bonne, Nathalie Agnes, Marielle Bonne, Petra Richard, Manuella Monthy, Antoinette Quatre, Flora Lesperance and Tina Agathine (women’s volleyball), weightlifters Janet Georges (three in the 75kg category), Ruby Malvina (three in the 58kg category), Clementina Agricole (three in the 63kg category) and sailor Meggy Gertrude (in mixed team racing).

 

Unprecedented four gold medals in Brazzaville

 

At the11th All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville, Seychelles won an unprecedented four gold medals and all the gold medallists were female athletes.

Weightlifter Ruby Malvina was the top performer for the team, claiming two gold medals in clean & jerk (109kg) and Olympic total (189kg) as well as one silver medal in snatch (80kg) to become the first Seychellois athlete to win two gold medals at the games.

Lissa Labiche clinched the women’s high jump gold medal by holding off the challenge of three-time champion Doreen Amata of Nigeria, as she cleared the bar at 1.91m.

The other gold medal was won by cousins Juliette Ah-Wan and Alisen Camille in the badminton women’s doubles event.

Seychelles finished the Games with a record haul of 12 medals – 4 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze – to be ranked eighth out of 37 countries who won medals at the Games.  A total of 54 countries took part in events in Congo Brazzaville, marking the 50th anniversary of the Games, as well as their return to Brazzaville, hosts of the first Games in 1965. This is the country’s best ever finish in terms of gold medals won at these Games.

The fact that women have been bringing laurels to the nation is not just a matter of pride for all Seychellois but is also an encouragement for young girls to take up sports.

The country’s sports fraternity should show satisfaction and appreciation at the performance of the Seychellois female athletes at the continental event.

All the female gold medallists should be singled out for special commendation as their performances at the Congo Games has yet again brought out the massive potential of Seychellois athletes in their chosen areas against all odds.

What is needed now is for the male athletes to get out of their slumber and train harder to get Seychelles to achieve even better results in the region, on the continent and at world stage.

We can do it as the Seychelles government and the private sector have been investing a lot in sports to boost the morale of the players and enhance training for future challenges.

Female athletes who have been performing well should bear in mind that they should continue to train hard because the challenges grow bigger and more complex each day.

All the All-Africa Games medalists will soon receive their cash prizes during a ceremony expected to be held in the grounds of Bravo on Eden Island.

The prizes are R50,000 for a gold medal, R25,000 for silver and R15,000 for bronze.

 

G. G.

 

Captions:

 

JULIETTE AH-WAN AND ALISEN CAMILLE ... Women’s doubles badminton champions

 

WEIGHTLIFTER MALVINA – Double gold medallist

 

High jump gold medallist Labiche

 

 

 

 

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