2016 Sports Award - Youth athletes of the year finalists |20 January 2017
It’s finally here! The big night for sports fans across the country is tonight, where we will find out who has been the best performer of the 2016 sporting season.
While the main focus is of course on the senior male and female athletes of the year award, the younger athletes will also be looking to etch their names into history as they bid to be named the young male and female athlete of the year.
In the past two days we have presented you with the top 10 male and female athletes as nominated by the selection committee. Today we present you the top five male and top five female young athletes of the year.
Male finalists
Nantenaina Finesse – Judo
Nantenaina Finesse was named as the runner-up. Finesse though, was chosen as the best young judoka of 2016, where his best performance was a bronze medal win at the African Junior Championship in Morocco.
Finesse also competed at the African Championship in Tunisia, where he was placed 7th out of nine other judokas. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Finesse finished 12th and has a world ranking of 225. At the curtain raiser Finesse won in his category.
“I am happy to be in the top 5. I did very well internationally from my three outings, but I am not satisfied with the local side as there was only one competition. If the jury judges in terms of medals won, then I stand a clear chance of winning the title. I could come out first or second.”
Ryan Alcindor – Sailing
Ryan Alcindor was the best performer among the young sailors after winning the Regional Sailing Championship and also representing Seychelles at the African Laser Championship, settling for 32nd place.
Locally, Alcindor won the Hunt Deltel Optimist Cup, the Mason’s Travel Optimist Cup and the Regatta Championship. He was also runner-up at the Cascade Slipway Trophy and the National Championship
“I am very proud to be part in the top 5 as I have given it all during the past year with lots of sacrifices made. I rank myself second or third for the award and I think Damien Laporte will surely be above me, as he has participated in more high level international competitions than I did.”
Kalvin Stravens – Athletics
It is Kalvin Stravens who is the top young male athlete, after producing some good performance in high jump locally, which included gold at the National School’s Championship as well as winning the gold medal at the CJSOI games.
“I was not expecting to be among the top 5 and being there makes me very happy. I think now I will feature among the top 3. I leave it all in God’s hand. Damien Laporte is the favourite to win as he has been exposed to more international competitions than I have and he has come out with good results.”
Samuele Rossi – Swimming
Samuele Rossi has been a real revelation in 2016 and achieved a number of good performances locally. He was also part of the Seychelles team at the Confédération Africaine de natation zone 4 championship held in Mauritius, where the athletes managed to rack up 13 medals – 1 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze – in the swimming pool.
He won the silver medal in the 100m breaststroke in a time of 3 minutes 03.28 seconds (3:03.28).
Rossi also competed in the 13th Fina world short course championship in Windsor, Canada.
Before moving to Thailand to train with the world renowned coach Colin Braund at the British International School, Phuket (BISP), Rossi was the star of the three-day National Open Swimming Championship, breaking three national breaststroke records – 50m (30.75 seconds), 100m (1:08.52) and 200m 2:32.60) – in the 50m pool at Roche Caïman.
As Rossi is training overseas, Sports NATION was unable to get in contact with him.
Damien Laporte – Tennis
Damien Laporte remains on course to become one of Seychelles’ best ever tennis players after the youngster earned admission into the Justin Henin Academy in Belgium, where he is training alongside some of the most promising young players in the world.
Laporte became the king of Africa in the boys’ under-14 age category after triumphing in the final of the 39th ITF/CAT African Junior Championships in Pretoria, South Africa.
In his quest for the title and to become the African under-14 king, Laporte was up against Nigerian Michael Osewa in the boys’ singles final at the University of Pretoria High Performance Centre and he won quite convincingly on a 2-0 (7-5, 6-4) score to give himself a nice and early 14th birthday present.
With the win, Laporte, the first Seychellois to reach an African Junior Championships final, is now ranked number one in Africa in the under-14 age category.
The young tennis prodigy took part in the International Tennis Federation under-14 European Tour and played in five tournaments.
At the 2016 East African Junior Tennis Championship, he teamed up with Theo Barois to win the under-14 boys’ doubles gold medal, but lost the under-14 boys’ singles final.
Sports NATION was unable to get in touch with Laporte, who is training overseas.
Female Finalists
Nayeli Etienne – Volleyball
At only 16, Nayeli Etienne, the best young female volleyballer, was part of the Zone 7 Club Championship winning team. She also completed the local treble with her side.
“I am very happy to have been chosen in the top 5 because I have worked hard and I have proven myself in my sport. All the other athletes have worked hard last year and it’s very difficult for me to predict myself in a suitable position, maybe a third place. Felicity Passon has done very well on the highest level and I think she will win the title.”
Tessy Bristol – Athletics
The young sprinter has been dominating locally, where she now holds the junior 200m record at 26.14 seconds.
Bristol also won gold at the CJSOI Games in Madagascar, in the 200m sprint event, while she also won a silver and a bronze medal at the same games.
“I feel very proud to be in the top 5 and this is my first time. I really want to come out first. I do not know what the outcome will be. There is Felicity Passon who in my point of view, we all have the same chances of winning. I do not know if she will beat me.”
Noelisa Remie – Badminton
Remie performed very well during the year, where she was the winner of the ladies doubles at the Curtain raiser tournament, then winning the ladies singles at the junior championships and in final tournament of the year, the Closing Cup, Remie won the Ladies Singles and finished in second place in the Ladies doubles.
“I am very happy to be in the top 5 and I would like to thank the people that nominated me and also thank my coach and everybody who helped me to be what I am today. All athletes in the group are strong contenders but I think either Tessy Bristol or Felicity Passon will win.”
Kursha Loizeau – Handball
Loizeau, finished the league season with four runner-up trophies, finishing second in the league, the challenge cup, the Curtain Raiser and the SHF Knockout. She also helped the Seychelles National junior side to an IHF Zone 7 challenge trophy bronze medal.
“I am deeply happy to have been chosen among the best juniors. It has always been my dream to one day move a bit further and forward in sports. I position myself in fourth place maybe and I think Felicity Passon will win the title. She is always improving and getting good results in each competition she participates in,” said Loizeau.
Felicity Passon – Swimming
Passon managed to set a new personal best time as well as win a silver medal at the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) Winter Championships in England.
Swimming for the Plymouth Leander Team, her silver medal came with the help of her teammates as they managed to finish in second place in the 4x100m freestyle relay with a time of 3 minutes 38.92 seconds. They lost the gold medal to the Co Sheffield team who clocked 3:39:82.
Her personal best came with a time of 29.05 seconds in the 50m backstroke event to finish 22nd out of 60 swimmers.
Passon was Seychelles’ best swimmer at the 13th Fina world short course championship in Windsor, Canada by pulverising five national records.
“I’m really pleased to be in top 5 for a third time and I feel I have worked hard to achieve this.”