Sports Awards of the Year 2007-Male finalists give their views |25 January 2008
William Woodcock – athletics
The young man, who has been training in Cologne, Germany, won two indoor high jump competitions in 2007 in Germany – in Münster with 2.10m and in Leverkusen with 2.16m.
At the seventh edition of the IOIG in Madagascar, Woodcock cleared a height of 2.17m to snatch the gold medal. The height is also an outdoor personal best for him.
The high jumper, who was credited with no jump at both the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria and the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan, could not be reached for comments because he is in Germany.
Georgie Cupidon – badminton
In the team event in Algiers, Cupidon had for teammates Cynthia Course, Juliette Ah-Wan, Catherina Paulin, Nicholas Jumaye, Steve Malcouzane to win the bronze medal.
Seychelles’ male number one player, Cupidon was also a gold medallist with partner Ah-Wan in the mixed doubles event of the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius. He also captured the team event gold medal of the same championship and his teammates were Juliette Ah-Wan, Cynthia Course, Catherina Paulin, Shirley Etienne, Nicholas Jumaye and Steve Malcouzane.
In the men’s doubles of the African Senior Badminton Championship, Cupidon paired with Malcouzane to lose the final to the Dednam brothers from South Africa to settle for the runners-up berth and the silver medal.
He again had Malcouzane as partner as he won the men’s doubles silver medal of the Mauritius Open.
“I’ve done my part by winning medals and the final decision to reward the best rests with the judges. I’m not putting my hopes high because I don’t want to be disappointed when the final result is announced,” 26-year-old Cupidon told Sports Nation.
Steve Malcouzane – badminton
Playing alongside Georgie Cupidon, Malcouzane won the men’s doubles silver medal at both the African Senior Badminton Championship and the Mauritius Open. At the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, Steve Malcouzane won the team event bronze medal with teammates Cynthia Course, Juliette Ah-Wan, Catherina Paulin, Nicholas Jumaye and Georgie Cupidon.
Aware that he cannot win the Sportsman of the Year title because he is the runner-up to male player of the year Georgie Cupidon, Malcouzane, 25, said that “I didn’t expect to make the 10 finalists for the first time in my career, but I’m happy. It’s the judges who decide and I’ll accept whatever decision they take.”
Kitson Julie – boxing
BACK as boxer of the year, Kitson Julie moved up a category in 2007. Boxing in the 69-k
Although he did not do too well in the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algeria, Julie, 24, was Seychelles’ only gold medallist in the Zone 7 African Championship qualifier in Madagascar and also won a bronze medal in the Cardo Va Cardin tournament in Cuba.
In the ‘Good Luck Beijing’ International Boxing Invitational Tournament in China, Julie made a flying start in the preliminaries of the 69-kg category, winning a quarterfinal berth by beating Kianqkrai Sukkhum from Thailand 23-12. He then lost on points – 11-27 – to Kanat Orakbayev of Kazakhstan in the quarters.
Runner-up to Sportsman of the Year Allan Julie in 2004, Julie could not be reached for comments.
Jean-Paul Mellie – boxing
The 25-year-old, who trained in Cuba and participated in both the Ninth All-Africa Games (won his first bout) and the ‘Good Luck Beijing’ International Boxing Invitational Tournament in China, is currently in Algeria competing in an African Olympic Games qualifier.
Hedson Mathieu – cycling
IN the Seventh IOIG, cyclist Hedson Mathieu won a second gold medal by defending his 
At the World ‘B’ Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, Mathieu was the only local rider to complete the men’s elite 161km road race – taking 89th place out of more than 164 participants with a time of 4 hours 20 minutes 04 seconds. He finished 16th in the men’s elite 28-kilometre individual time-trial race with a time of 38 minutes 11 seconds (38:11). He was the best cyclist of the Indian Ocean region in the individual time-trial of the Ninth All-Africa Games.
Locally, the 26-year-old won an unprecedented 10th National Championship title and was classified first in six riders in 18 races organised bv the Seychelles Cycling Association.
Mathieu finished as runner-up on four occasions - to Benjamin Lo-Pinto in 1999, Allan Julie in 2000 and 2001 and Steven Baccus in 2003. He finished third overall in 2002 and 2005, and fifth in 1998.
A four-time Young Male Athlete of the Year in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, Mathieu, 26, did not finish among the top-five in 2004 and 2006.
“I’ll leave it to the judges to decide who should win the Sportsman of the Year title”, he said.
Allan Julie – sailing
He was fourth out of 137 participants in the Laser Europa Cup Standard in Coych, 52nd out of 188 participants in the 39ème Semaine Olympique Française, 49th out of 149 participants in the ISAF Sailing World Championships, 2nd out of 13 participants in the Emirates Open Regatta and 18th out of 108 participants in the SPA Regatta.
Aged 30, Julie, who has qualified for the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, China, won the silver medal of the single-handed dinghy Laser class at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algeria.
Third in 2003 and fifth in 2006, Julie said that “I feel I can finish among the top three.”
Kenny Roberts – swimming
“I’m excited, I’ve just learned today (yesterday) that I’ve been chosen as the best male swimmer. It’s been a while since I last competed for Seychelles and I will be happy with a top-three finish,” said Roberts.
Charles Siméon – weightlifting
At the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algeria, he missed out on the medals placings, taking fifth place overall out of 19 participants. Charles Siméon's total was 266kg (116kg in snatch and 150kg in clean-and-jerk).
At the Seventh IOIG in Madagascar, Charles Siméon grabbed three medals - two gold and one silver - in the 77-kg category,
“I see myself in the top-three again because I performed well in 2007,” said the 25-year-old.
Romeo Siméon – weightlifting
AGED 30, Romeo Siméon was voted the best lifter during the only local competition in 2007 
The only international competition Romeo Siméon competed in in 2007 was the Seventh IOIG in Madagascar and he snatched three gold medals in the 69-kg division.
The 30-year-old lifter said that “I believe I deserve a place in the top five. I had a good 2007 season and I performed well. I’ll be disappointed if I don’t finish among the five best athletes.”
Compiled by G. G.