Badminton: Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers – July 11 to 23, 2007-Local players on three-week intensive China training camp |08 June 2007

To prepare for these Games in Algiers, Algeria (from July 11 to 23), three local badminton players – Juliette Ah-Wan, Steve Malcouzane and Georgie Cupidon – left the country yesterday for Changsha, China for a three-week intensive training camp.

All three players are looking forward to the All-Africa Games after their outstanding showing at the recent African Badminton Championships in Mauritius and they know that if they give their best in training the final outcome could be as impressive as it has been in previous international competitions.

Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province in south central China, is not new to these three players for they’ve trained there before, especially prior to major competitions. And each time, they reaped the reward for their hard training.

In Algiers, Algeria, in December 2006, Ah-Wan won the ladies’ singles title for the second time after her first triumph in 2002 and then teamed up with Cupidon to win the mixed doubles gold medal.

Only a fortnight ago, Ah-Wan and Cupidon successfully defended their mixed doubles title in Mauritius and played a part in Seychelles putting an end to South Africa’s seven-year reign as African team champions with a 3-2 final win.

Former Sportslady of the Year Ah-Wan once described training in Changsha as “tough as we train for long hours, but it is very interesting because we play a lot of matches against top-ranked Chinese players.”

The three players, who are accompanied by Chinese coach Luo, are expected back home on Sunday July 1 before heading to Algeria for the All-Africa Games.

G. G.