Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria-Seychelles finishes 17th |25 July 2007
Although Seychelles did not win medals in its first participation in 1978, it started featuring on the medals table in 1987 in Nairobi, Kenya. And since then, Seychellois athletes have been making progress in their performances until this year when they reaped the first gold medals.
With its first ever gold medals at these Games, Seychelles pinned down, for the first time, a place among the top-20 countries on the final medals table of the Ninth All-Africa Games.
In fact, Seychelles finished 17th with 11 medals – two gold, three silver and six bronze medals.
The country's first ever gold medal was won by 17-year-old sailor Meggy Gertrude in the Laser 4.7 class and the badminton mixed doubles pair of Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon.
The three silver medallists were female javelin specialist Lindy Leveau-Agricole, female weightlifter Janet Thélermont in the 69kg category, and male laser standard sailor Allan Julie.
The six bronze medals were won by female weightlifter Janet Thélermont (one in the 69kg category), female weightlifter Clementina Agricole (three bronze in the 58kg category), the badminton team made up of Cynthia Course, Juliette Ah-Wan, Catherina Paulin, Nicholas Jumaye, Steve Malcouzane and Georgie Cupidon (one bronze) and female badminton player Catherina Paulin (one bronze in the ladies' singles).
Although Seychelles has set a record with its first gold medals in Algiers, the country's highest medal haul in the history of its participation at the All-Africa Games is 16.
That came four years ago in Abuja, when Seychelles garnered 16 medals - 10 silver and 6 bronze.
In 1999, Seychelles got only two silver medals in swimming and weightlifting as well as six bronze at the Johannesburg Games.
In the Harare Games in 1995, Seychelles recorded two medals - a silver and a bronze - in boxing.
The Cairo Games in 1991 brought three medals – a silver and two bronze - while in 1987, the country managed two medals - two bronze.
With the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) scheduled to start on August 9 in Madagascar, it is unfortunate for Seychelles that the disciplines in which it won its two gold medals don't feature on the IOIG programme.
Still Seychelles has a very good chance of doing very well in Madagascar, just like in Mauritius in 2003 when its athletes won an unprecedented 43 gold medals.
In Algiers, Madagascar finished 27th with four medals - one silver and three bronze -, while Mauritius took 29th place with three medals - one silver and two bronze.
Egypt finished at the head of the table with 199 medals - 74 gold, 62 silver and 63 bronze. Host country Algeria finished second with the highest number of medals - 205 - among which were 70 gold, 58 silver and 77 bronze. In third place overall was South Africa with 61 gold, 66 silver and 53 bronze for a total of 180 medals.