Beach Volleyball-Wins for Arsu and Beau Vallon duos |01 December 2009
Eight women’s and 11 men’s teams took part in the tournament played at the new beach volleyball court, next to the Astroturf pitch at Roche Caïman.
Arsu’s Jerina Bonne and Marie-Antoine Gilbert, who represented Seychelles in the women’s beach volleyball tournament of the sixth Jeux de la Francophonie in Lebanon in September, met little resistance to beat the pair of Teryl Songoire and Maya Biong 2-0 (21-10, 21-16) in the final.
“It was not a tough match and they made life easier for us,” captain Gilbert told Sports Nation.
To reach the final, Gilbert and Bonne, who won the first tournament in May alongside daughter Marielle – now playing professional volleyball in France – dispatched the SMB team of Meryl Octave and Joselle Labrosse 2-0 (21-19, 21-14) in the semifinal.
Third place went to another SMB pair. Losers to Biong and Lespoir in the second semifinal, Rita Ladouce and Rose-Marie Antoine edged Octave and Labrosse 2-1 (21-19, 18-21, 15-10) in the third place play-off match.
The men’s final was a nail-biting affair with the Beau Vallon duo of Bernard Bijoux and 
“The tournament was OK and winning has brought us joy. The only problem is the long wait for matches to be played as there is only one court,” said veteran Bijoux.
Losing finalists Sinon and Rose beat the Anse Royale pair of Rick Capricieuse and Jeffrey Dine 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) in the first semifinal, while champions Bijoux and Chetty eliminated another Premium Spikers pair of Jones Mangroo and Jude Frederick 2-0 (21-19, 21-17).
In the third-place play-off encounter, Mangroo and Frederick beat Capricieuse and Dine 2-0 (21-12, 21-13).
In the presence of Seychelles Volleyball Federation chairman Jude Florentine, Cable & Wireless public relations and marketing executive Terry Servina gave out the cash prizes of R3,000 (winners), R2,000 (runners-up) and R1,500 (third-place finishers).
G. G.