Seventh All-African Junior Badminton Championship-Below-par performances by young Seychellois |05 August 2005

The Seychelles team arrived home Thursday August 4 (afternoon) with in their luggage the results they probably had decided to keep to themselves because none of the officials thought it right to send them home for publication.

But Sports Nation, who had since last week been trying its best to get hold of the results, was at the Seychelles International Airport at Pointe Larue and succeeded in getting them.

In the men’s singles competition, Samuel Betsy reached as far as the eighth final after getting wins over Ethiopian F. Mohammed 2-0 (15-9 15-7) and P. Mmereki of Botswana 2-1 (8-15 15-13 15-8) before losing 0-2 (2-15 12-15) to Nigerian K. Omoruyi.

Alan Low lost his first match 0-2 (2-15 3-15) to Algerian B. Rabie and Ivan Leong, who won a bye straight into the second round, fell 0-2 (1-15 4-15) to South African R. Anderton.

Nigerian J. Ifraimu won the gold medal, beating compatriot A. Otagada in the final.

In the ladies’ singles, Danielle Jupiter was dispatched 0-2 (4-11 7-11) by Zambian O. Siamupangila in the quarterfinals after beating Kenyan R. Viren 2-0 (11-0 11-4) and Egyptian El N. Hasan 2-1 (11-6 9-11 11-8) in her first two matches.

Allisan Camille beat Nigerian D. Abe 2-1 (11-8 8-11 11-8) and then lost to Mauritian K. Foo Kune.

As for Cynthia Course, she defeated Ethiopian Addis Belayney 2-1 (9-11 11-7 11-7) and then lost by walk-over to eventual gold medallist S. Doubell of South Africa.

The boys’ doubles of Betsy and Low won a bye into the second round but fell 0-2 (6-15 12-15) to the Ethiopian pair of Alemayehu and Fetih.

Nigerians J. Ifraimu and H. Mussa won the boys’ doubles gold medal.

Jupiter and Course teamed up to play the girls’ doubles competition, losing their first game 1-2 (8-15 15-12 6-15) to Egyptians H. Hosny and D. Nagy.

South Africans A. Viljeon and Jade Morgan triumphed in the ladies’ doubles.

Seychelles was represented by three pairs in the mixed doubles competition. Leong and Camille lost 0-2 (10-15 13-15) to Ethiopians Fetih and Roza, while Low and Course fell 0-2 (3-15 10-15) to Zambians O. Siamupangella and C. Chisela.

As for the duo of Betsy and Jupiter, it whitewashed the Mauritian pair of K. Pachee and K. Foo Kune 2-0 (15-6 15-10) but lost 0-2 (0-15 3-15) to South Africans L. Myburgh and A. Viljeon.

Another South African pair of Anderton and Doubell won the mixed doubles gold medal.

In the team event won 3-2 by Nigeria over South Africa in the final, Seychelles lost 1-4 to Zambia and 0-5 to Nigeria.

G. G.