11th All-Africa Games - Badminton gold medallists return |18 September 2015

Juliette Ah-Wan and Alisen Camille were welcomed as heroines yesterday at the Seychelles International Airport upon their return from the 11th All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville where they clinched the women’s’ doubles gold medal.

They were greeted upon arrival by Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports Minister Vincent Meriton and community development and sports principal secretary Denis Rose.

Cousins Ah-Wan and Camille were victorious in the women’s doubles badminton event to clinch the gold after beating the Mauritian duo of Karen Foo Kune and Yeldy Louison in the final.

The pair had lost to the same team in the women’s doubles final during the 9th Indian Ocean Island Games in August in Reunion.

“Frankly, the games were tough as we had lost to these same opponents in the final in Reunion and they came all out to defeat us again. But I think we had learned our lesson and won the gold medal this time,” said Ah-Wan.

“Definitely a gold medal in Africa is a very big achievement and I know most people did not expect us to win it, but we have managed to do it,” said Camille.

Ah-Wan and Camille said the next step now is to prepare for the African Championship in July next year and there is a strong possibility they will meet their Mauritian rivals again.

The badminton team also won two bronze medals in Brazzaville. Georgie Cupidon claimed a bronze medal in the mixed doubles with Ah-Wan as partner, and the two players joined Steve Malcouzane, Kervin Ghislain, Camille and Cynthia Course to win the mixed team event bronze medal.

The other medallist who returned to Seychelles yesterday is boxer Keddy Agnes who won a silver medal in the +91kg category after losing to Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba in the final.

“With four bouts it was quite tough for me, but with a lot of determination I managed to do it,” said Agnes.

He added: “My opponent in the final really studied my fights throughout the competition and this is the reason I lost.”

Next up for Agnes is the World Championships where he hopes to achieve a podium finish even though it will be very tough.

Members of the men’s and women’s volleyball teams also returned yesterday. If the men’s team did not have the best tournament as they came back winless and bottom of their group, the women, despite being only an eight-strong team, managed to reach the semifinal of the competition.

They lost to eventual silver medallists Cameroon in the semifinal and Egypt in the third place play-off.

Back in Congo Brazzaville, high jump gold medallist Lissa Labiche could not finish among the medals in Wednesday night’s long jump event as she finished fourth with a best jump of 6.25m.

The gold medal went to Chinazom Amadi of Nigeria with 6.31m, while the silver went to Cameroon’s Joelle Mbumi Nkiuind Jin with the same distance. The bronze medal was won by Romaissa Tahani Belabiod of Algeria with a jump of 6.30m.

Seychelles have so far won four gold, three silver and five bronze medals with the games ending on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Anniessa Benstrong (table tennis), Jude Sidonie (athletics) and Alex Louise (Tae Kwon Do) all competed late last night.

Weightlifters Ruby Malvina and Clementina Agricole returned on Tuesday.

Malvina was the top performer for the team, claiming two gold medals in clean & jerk (109kg) and Olympic total (189kg) as well as one silver medal in snatch (80kg) to become the first Seychellois athlete to win two gold medals at the games.

As for Agricole, she grabbed one silver medal in clean & jerk (115kg) and two bronze medals – in snatch (91kg) and Olympic total (206kg).

S. N.