Petanque-Indifferent results at world champs |28 October 2010

Invited to compete after three African countries had initially pulled out, the Seychelles team of Ivans Anacoura, Roland Renaud and Auguste Louise were surprised to be left out of the world championship.

This was because there were 12 African teams in Izmir and only 10 were allowed to compete in the world championship. Seychelles and Guinea had to watch from the sidelines as Algeria, Benin, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Libya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and Tunisia battled it out against the rest of the world.

Madagascar made it to the final where they lost 12-13 to France, who won their ninth consecutive world triplette title.

Madagascar edged Switzerland 13-12 in the quarterfinal and eliminated Mauritania 13-3 in the semifinal.

As for world triplette champions France, comprising Thierry Grandet, Bruno Le Boursicaud, Henri Lacroix and Philippe Suchaud, they beat Italy 13-2 in the quarterfinal and dispatched Spain 13-4 in the semifinal.

A total of 48 teams from Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, with some of the world’s best petanque players, took part in the championship.

Seychelles did take part in the 10th World Shooting Championship and the Nations Cup. Renaud finished with a total of 22 points after five rounds in the qualifying stage.

Charles Weibel finished with 66 points in the qualifying round to make the world record his, improving by two the previous best of 64 held by François N'Daye.

Second in the qualifying round with 51 points, Frenchman Bruno Le Boursicaud triumphed 34-12 against Jean Manea of Tahiti in the shooting final.

In the Nations Cup, Seychelles played in pool ‘P’ and won two of their three matches against Russia, 13-12, and Austria, 13-7. Despite losing 8-13 to San Marino, the Seychelles team progressed to the quarterfinals where they met the Netherlands and lost 3-13.

Tahiti won the Nations Cup gold medal thanks to a 13-9 win over Algeria in the final.

G. G.