Julie back as Sportsman of the Year,Alisen Camille lifts women’s crown-Sports Awards of the Year 2011 |21 January 2012

They were crowned by President James Michel Friday night during the 28th Sports Awards of the Year ceremony at the International Conference Centre.

Chosen as Young Female Athlete of the Year 2009, Camille lifted the Sportswoman of the Year title for the first time after winning two silver medals in the mixed doubles and ladies’ doubles at the 10th All-Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique in 2011.

She also captured four medals – a gold , two silver and a bronze – at the 8th Indian Ocean Island Games held here, and was also the Curtain-raiser tournament ladies’ singles runner-up.

Camille, who has succeeded four-time Sportswoman of the Year Janet Georges, is the second badminton player after cousin Juliette Ah-Wan to win the coveted title.  Ah-Wan’s wins came in 2000 and 2007.

Laser sailor Julie came out of retirement last year to register spectacular wins and the gold medals in the Indian Ocean Island Games and All-Africa Games. He was also the team’s coach at the two events.

No other athlete has won the Sportsman of the Year title six times, putting Julie, whose previous wins came in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005, in a league of his own. Julie is also the only sailor to win the Sportsman of the Year crown.

In the young athlete category, weightlifters Rena Agricole and Sirous Farabeau have hoisted the titles after registering convincing results in the African senior weightlifting championship held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Youth, Junior and Senior Championship in South Africa.

Fourth in 2010, Rena Agricole, younger sister of well-known lifter Clementina Agricole, won three bronze medals in the 63kg category of the African senior weightlifting championship and a silver in the Commonwealth Youth Championship with an Olympic total of 125kg (60kg in snatch and 65kg in clean & jerk). She also earned a silver medal in the 69kg division at the Indian Ocean Island Games.

In the National championship, she was the winner of the 63kg category with an Olympic total of 130kg (60kg in snatch and 70kg in clean & jerk) and also won the 63kg division of the Open championship with an Olympic total of 116kg (53kg in snatch and 63kg in clean & jerk).

Sirous Farabeau was a triple silver medallist in the 85kg class of the African senior weightlifting championship and grabbed a silver in the Commonwealth Youth Championship with an Olympic total of 187kg (82kg in snatch and 105kg in clean & jerk).

In the National championship, he was the runner-up in the 85kg category with an Olympic total of 200kg (90kg in snatch and 110kg in clean & jerk). She held this same position in the Open championship with an Olympic total of 165kg (75kg in snatch and 90kg in clean & jerk).

G. G.