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PALMARES DU BADMINTON AFRICAIN DES DOUBLES AUX J.O. PEKIN 2008 africa-badminton.com 12/08/2008

Le duo seychellois Georgie CUPIDON & Juliette AH-WAN est celui qui
a réalisé la meilleure performance de tous les doubles africains confondus
en marquant 27 points contre les polonais MATEUSIAK Robert & KOSTIUCZYK
Nadiezda (08/21 - 19/21).
La paire sud africaine Christoffel & Roelof DEDNAM a quant à elle marqué
26 points contre les américains et l'autre paire sud africaine Michelle Claire
EDWARDS & Chantal BOTTS n'a pu inscrire que 18 points contre les chinoises
de Tapeï.

MD/WD/MX J.O. PEKIN 2008		RENCONTRES				SETS			POINTS			DUREE SUR COURTS
Clt	Joueurs	jouées	Victoires	Défaites	#	Gagnés	Perdus	#	Marqués	Encaissés	#	Présence
1°	CUPIDON Georgie HA-WHAN Juliette	1	0	1	-1	0	2	-2	27	42	-15	21'
2°	DEDNAM Christoffel DEDNAM Roelof	1	0	1	-1	0	2	-2	26	42	-16	17'
3°	EDWARDS Michelle BOTTS Chantal	1	0	1	-1	0	2	-2	18	42	-24	17'
	TOTAUX Doubles Afrique	3	0	3	-3	0	6	-6	71	126	-55	00h55'

XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, Mixed doubles pair lose first match Seychelles Onlines - 13.08.2008

THE playing experience lasted 21 minutes for Seychellois shuttlers Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan at the 29th Olympiad.

Cupidon (left) and Ah-Wan lost their match yesterday

Paired in the mixed doubles, the Olympic rookies lost their round-of-16-match to Kostiuczyk Nadiezda and Robert Mateusiak of Poland yesterday morning in Beijing.
Inside the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Cupidon and Ah-Wan – the country’s reigning Sportsman and Sportslady of the year – had trouble getting their game plan working as they trailed 0-4, 1-5, 2-6, 3-9, 4-10, 5-11, 6-19 and 8-20 before losing the first game 8-21 in eight minutes.
The number one-ranked mixed doubles pair in Africa regained their composure in the second game and raised their level of play. After trailing 0-2, they equalised at 2-2, 5-5, 6-6 and 8-8 before taking a two-point – 10-8 – lead.
Kostiuczyk and Mateusiak pulled level at 10-10 and the score was tied three more times at 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13. Trailing 18-20, Ah-Wan and Cupidon reduced the deficit to one point at 19-20 but they could not pull level, allowing Kostiuczyk and Mateusiak to score the game’s last point. The second game ended 21-19 after 13 minutes of play.
Kostiuczyk and Mateusiak have now advanced to the quarterfinals.
Ah-Wan and Cupidon are Seychelles’ first badminton pair to qualify for the Olympic Games. The country’s illustrious mixed doubles duo finished first in Africa with 10,700 points in the Badminton World Federation rankings.

Georgie CUPIDON ( SEY)
Juliette AH-WAN ( SEY)

OUT ...

Ils perdent le match sur le score de : 08/21 - 19/21
contre les polonais MATEUSIAK Robert & KOSTIUCZYK Nadiezda

C.J.S.O.I Badminton - Deux médailles d’or pour les Seychelles G.G. Seychelles Nations 02/08/2008
PRÉSENTS dans trois des cinq finales de la compétition individuelle de badminton, Joel Dubel a enlevé la victoire à deux reprises, hier, au Gymnase de La Promenade.

Alisen Camille et Joel Dubel ont remporté la médaille d’or du double mixte

En doubles garçons, Dubel et Kervin Ghislain ont complètement dominé leurs adversaires réunionnais – Jérémie Sellambron et Xavier Chang Fung – pour s’adjuger la médaille d’or. Ils ont joué à leur guise dans une finale à sens unique qu’ils ont remportée sur le score de 2-0 (21-15 et 21-12) après 19 minutes de jeu.
Les Seychelles ont aussi remporté la médaille d’or du double mixte. Contre les Mauriciens Jérôme Joson et Kate Foo Kune, Dubel et Alisen Camille ont perdu le premier set sur le score de 18-21. Poussés par le public, Dubel et Camille ont mis la pendule à l’heure en enlevant la victoire dans le deuxième set. Le score : 21-15.
Un troisième set était donc nécessaire pour départager les deux équipes. Dubel et Camille ont connu un bon début dans le set décisif, menant aux scores 4-1, 9-1, 11-4, 16-7, 18-8, 18-11 avant de mettre fin à la rencontre avec un score final de 21-11.
Dans la finale du simple garçons, Dubel a commis trop d’erreurs pour perdre son match 1-2 (19-21, 21-18 et 9-21) contre le Réunionnais Maxime Vanagamoudiar.

Dubel et Ghislain en action dans la finale du double garçons

« Je suis très fier de moi-même et je suis très content d’avoir remporté, au total, trois médailles d’or à ces Jeux. J’étais fatigué mais le soutien du public m’a, à chaque fois, poussé à aller chercher les victoires, à l’exception du dernier match en simple », a dit Dubel qui espère retenir son titre de Meilleur Jeune Athlète.
Camille a pour part eu ceci à dire : « Le match du double mixte était assez difficile. Il y avait beaucoup d’ambiance dans le gymnase et on ne voulait pas la gâcher avec une défaite. »
Quant à Ghislain, il a indiqué que son match du doubles garçons était assez difficile.
« J’ai donné le meilleur de moi-même pour donner la victoire à l’équipe », a-t-il dit.
Pour récompenser les exploits de Ghislain, Camille et Dubel, M. Vassou Sunnasse du Seystyle Tailoring en signe de satisfaction a offert à chacun d’eux de petites sommes d’argent.
A noter que les Seychelles sont les champions de la compétition par équipes.
Les médaillés de la compétition individuelle
Simple fille : Or Kate Foo Kune (Maurice), Argent Yeldy Louison (Maurice), Bronze Mathilde Lepetit (Réunion) et Cariane Alvergeb (Réunion)
Simple garçons : Or Maxime Vanagamoudiar (Réunion), Argent Joel Dubel (Seychelles), Bronze Jérôme Joson (Maurice) et Amit Alleck (Maurice)
Doubles filles : Kate Foo Kune et Yeldy Louison (Maurice), Cariane Alvergne et Fanny Fanchin (Réunion), Bronze Sheena Meghoo et Melissa Tang (Maurice) et Alisen Camille et Patricia Course (Seychelles)
Doubles garçons : Kervin Ghislain et Joel Dubel (Seychelles), Argent Jérémie Sellambron et Xavier Chan Fung Ting (Réunion), Bronze Jérôme Joson et Amit Alleck (Maurice) et Christopher Paul et David Cheung (Maurice)
Double mixte : Or Joel Dubel et Alisen Camille (Seychelles), Argent Jérôme Joson et Kate Foo Kune (Maurice), Bronze Yeldy Louison et Christopher Paul (Maurice) et Barbara Bernard et Jérémie Sellambron (Réunion).

C.J.S.O.I Résultats des matches joués hier Seychelles.Nations Onlines 01.08.2008
Simple dames demi-finales
Kate Foo Kune (Maurice) bat Cariane Alvergne (Réunion) 2-0 (21-8, 21-11).
Yeldi Louison (Maurice) bat Mathilde Lepetit (Réunion) 2-0 (21-7, 21-7).
Simple garçon demi-finales
Joel Dubel (Seychelles) bat Amit Alleck (Maurice) 2-1 (21-17, 18-21, 21-18).
Maxime Vanagamoudiar (Réunion) bat Jérôme Joson (Maurice) 2-0(21-17, 21-16).
Doubles dames demi-finales
Kate Foo Kune et Yeldi Louison (Maurice) battent Alisen Camille et Patricia Course (Seychelles) 2-0 (21-11, 21-11).
Cariane Alvergne et Fanny Fanchin (Réunion) battent S. Meghoo et M. Tang (Maurice) 2-0 (21-11, 21-14).
Doubles garçons demi-finales
J. Sellambron et Xavier Chan Fung Ting (Réunion) battent Jérôme Joson et Amit Alleck (Maurice) 2-0 (21-13, 21-18).
Kervin Ghislain et Joel Dubel (Seychelles) battent C. Paul et D. Cheung (Maurice) 2-0 (21-13, 21-11).
Double Mixte
Alisen Camille et Joel Dubel (Seychelles) battent Yeldi Louison et C. Paul (Maurice) 2-0 (21-15, 21-19).
Kate Foo Kune et Jérôme Joson (Maurice) battent J. Sellambron et B. Bernard (Reunion) 2-0 (21-8, 21-11).

6es Jeux de CJSOI Badminton Les Seychellois en Or G.G. Seychelles.Nations Onlines 29.07.2008
LE badminton a donné, hier, aux Seychelles sa première médaille. Une en Or, remportée à la fin de la compétition par équipes des 6es Jeux de CJSOI.
Photo souvenir du Vice-Président Belmont (premier rang, 2e de la droite) avec les joueurs seychellois et leurs entraîneurs
C’est le Vice-Président Joseph Belmont en personne qui a présenté la médaille aux heureux gagnants, ainsi qu’aux joueurs Mauriciens (qui remportent la médaille d’argent), et aux Réunionnais (qui ont pris le bronze).
Composée du capitaine Kervin Ghislain, Joel Dubel, Richie Course, Christian Toussaint, Aaron Vidot, Alisen Camille, Patricia Course, Alexina Larue, Ginnie Bibi et Chlorie Cadeau, la formation seychelloise a battu celle de Madagascar, hier, au Gymnase de La Promenade, sur le score de 4-1. Ce match était le dernier de la série.
Cette victoire est la troisième en autant de rencontres pour les Seychelles qui avaient battu La Réunion et Maurice 3-2 respectivement, lundi, lors de la première journée de compétition.
« On a voulu de cette médaille et on l’a désormais au cou. C’est super ! On est fier du devoir accompli ! Et on va tout faire pour remporter d’autres, en compétition individuelle », déclaré un Ghislain encore sous le coup de l’émotion à Sports Nation.
Les joueurs seychellois ont naturellement célébré cette victoire en compagnie du coach chinois Luo Guo et ses adjoints seychellois Gerard Bibi et Calix Francourt.
Maurice a terminé deuxième avec deux victoires contre La Réunion (5-0) et Madagascar (5-0) et une défaite contre les Seychelles (2-3).
La Réunion a fait une seule victoire sur le score de 5-0 contre Madagascar qui a perdu ses trois matches.
La compétition individuelle – simples dames, simples hommes, doubles dames, doubles hommes et doubles mixtes – débute ce mercredi.

C.J.S.O.I Baminton - Bon début de l’équipe des Seychelles G. J. Seychelles.Nations Onlines 29.07.2008
L’EQUIPE seychelloise est sur la route pour décrocher la médaille d’or de la compétition par équipe mixte en badminton.

Hier, lors de la première journée de compétition, la formation seychelloise a enregistré deux belles victoires sur ses principaux adversaires – La Réunion et Maurice – sur le score identique de 3-2.
Les Seychelles doivent battre Madagascar, considérée l’équipe la plus faible du tournoi, ce mardi pour monter sur la plus haute marche du podium.Les autres résultats : Maurice bat Madagascar 5-0 et La Réunion bat Madagascar 5-0.

Badminton: Curtain-raiser competition - Camille succeeds Ah-Wan, Cupidon back as champion 16.06.2008 G. G. Seychelles nation Online
AFRICAN king and reigning Sportsman of the Year Georgie Cupidon is back as men’s singles Curtain-raiser champion. He also won the other two finals he competed in.
CAMILLE … first ladies’ singles win As for African queen and defending Sportslady of the Year Juliette CUPIDON … ninth men’s singles title in 10 years Ah-Wan, she must wait before reaching double-digit singles wins as she is expected to give birth to her first baby later this month.
A nine-time winner, Ah-Wan was at the La Promenade Gymnasium on Saturday to watch her cousin Allison Camille succeed her as ladies’ singles champion.
Camille, who is gearing up for the forthcoming Sixth Jeux de la Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan Indien (CJSOI), collected a 2-0 (21-16, 21-7) win over 18-year-old Danielle Jupiter in her first-ever final.
“It was OK and I gave it my best shot. I hope to do well in the CJSOI Games,” the 16-year-old told Sports Nation.
Absent last year, Cupidon was back to reclaim his title, which had been taken over by Nicholas Jumaye. Cupidon brought his number of wins to nine in 10 years after beating Steve Malcouzane 2-0 (21-19, 21-12).
He teamed up with Kevin Ghislain to win the men’s doubles final on a 2-1 (21-18, 13-21, 21-15) score against Gerald Bibi and Nicholas Jumaye.
Cupidon had Danielle Jupiter for his partner in the mixed doubles final and they triumphed 2-0 (21-17, 21-17) against Joel Dubel and Allison Camille.
Though Ah-Wan was not fit to play, her mother Mona Cadeau was in action. She paired up with Jupiter to win the ladies’ doubles 2-0 (21-17, 21-6) against the duo of Jessy Mancienne and Vanessa Créa.

Badminton - Cupidon/Ah-Wan pair pin down Olympic spot 23.05.2008 G. G. Seychelles Onlines
SHUTTLERS Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan are Seychelles’ first badminton pair to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Cupidon (left) and Ah-Wan have qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing

The country’s illustrious mixed doubles duo maintained their position in the Badminton World Federation’s newly released rankings to finish first in Africa with 10,700 points.
The score is 2,820 more than the total of the South African pair of James Dorian and Michelle Edwards, who settled for second place.
Of the 16 pairs who have qualified for the XXIX Olympiad, slated for August 8-24 in Beijing, China, the Ah-Wan/Cupidon duo is the lowest ranked – 75th in the world.
The top 11 pairs worldwide qualified automatically for the Olympics, and the remaining five teams come from the five continental confederations.
Now they have pinned down a spot at the Games, it remains to be seen if the Seychelles duo will compete in Beijing. This is because reigning Sportslady of the Year Ah-Wan is expected to give birth to her first baby next month.
Speaking to Sports Nation, Ah-Wan, 26, had this to say: “This is a chance of a lifetime. I’m looking forward and would love to compete in Beijing, but not everything depends on me. I’m expected to give birth in June, leaving me with less than two months to get ready for the Games.
“Normally, a woman resumes training three months after giving birth. Right now, I’m doing some individual work in the gym to stay fit. All will depend on how I feel after giving birth.
“This is why I am not setting myself any high targets and deadlines. Also I don’t want to let other people down, especially my partner Georgie.”
As for 26-year-old Sportsman of the Year Cupidon, he said that “it’s every athlete’s dream to compete at the Olympic Games. We’ve qualified for the Games, but we now have to wait to see if we will compete. Although we stand almost no chance of winning medals, it’s going to be interesting if we compete. I hope Juliette gets back in good form after giving birth. But if that is not the case, I will have to accept that we will not be able to make the Games.”
Cupidon and Ah-Wan enjoyed a superb 2007 season in mixed doubles competitions. In Mauritius in April, they successfully defended the African Championships mixed doubles title they had won in Algiers, Algeria, in December 2006.
The two players won a second gold medal – this time at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers. Inside the OMS El Biar Hall in Algiers, the Seychellois pair showed their opponents that they were still the best on the continent with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win against the Nigerian pair of Grace Daniel and G Okuongahe in the final.
They also took part in the World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the China Open Badminton Championships, the French Open and the Hong Kong Open.
With Cupidon and Ah-Wan having qualified for the Games, Seychelles’ number of qualifiers has now reached five.
The other three are javelin specialist Lindy Leveau-Agricole, Laser sailor Allan Julie and canoeist Tony Lespoir.
Two-time former Sportslady of the Year Leveau-Agricole beat the ‘B’ qualifying standard of 56m with a throw of 56.49m in her second attempt, which earned her the silver medal at the Ninth All-Africa Games last year. This will be her first Olympics.
Julie will be making his fourth Games appearance after 1996 in Atlanta, USA (36th overall), 2000 in Sydney, Australia (27th overall) and 2004 in Athens, Greece (20th overall).
Although this will be his fourth Olympics, it is only the third time the Laser sailor, who won the silver medal of the standard class in Algiers, has actually qualified as he received an invitation when he first took part in 1996.
The 30-year-old achieved the Olympic qualifying standard in Portugal during the ISAF World Sailing Championship held just before the All-Africa Games.
Lespoir earned his qualification for the Olympics after taking second place and the silver medal in the K1 500m race during the Fifth Africa Canoe-Kayak Championship held in the Masinga Dam, Kenya, in January.
The 30-year-old 12-time canoeist of the year made his first appearance for Seychelles in the Olympiad in Athens, Greece, after receiving a wild card. He reached the semifinal of the K1 500m flatwater competition at the state-of-the-art Schinias regatta centre.

The road to Beijing 2008 - matches played in 2007 (W.B.F.)

BWF ID :	12216	10597
Given Name :	Georgie CUPIDON	Juliette AH-WAN
Nac :	SEYCHELLE ISLANDS	SEYCHELLE ISLANDS

Event Date	Event Name	GRADE	POINTS	ROUND
02/12/2007	YONEX-SUNRISE HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2007	S.Series	2220.00	1\32
25/11/2007	CHINA OPEN SUPER SERIES	S.Series	2220.00	1\32
04/11/2007	FRENCH SUPER SERIES 2007	S.Series	430.00	Qualifier
19/08/2007	16th WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2007	BWF Events	1200.00	1\64
26/05/2007	ALL AFRICA CHAMPIONSHIPS	Int.Ser.	2500.00	Winner
20/05/2007	MAURITIUS INTERNATIONAL 2007	Int.Ser.	2130.00	Runner-Up

Badminton: Kenya International Seychelles pair men’s doubles winners- 04.04.2008 G. G. Seychelles Nations Online
SEYCHELLES’ pair of Georgie Cupidon and Steve Malcouzane are the men’s doubles winners of this year’s Kenya International.

Cupidon (left) and Malcouzane won the men’s doubles title at the Kenya International

Reigning two-time Sportsman of the Year Cupidon and Malcouzane won their first match 2-0 (21-5, 21-12) against the Kenyan pair of Taha and Mwangi before going on to beat another Kenyan team of S Odundo and Kinyua 2-0 (21-18, 21-12) in the quarterfinal.
In the semifinal, they beat the Ugandan duo of Ebayo and Mihigo 2-0 (21-6, 21-13) to meet H Patel and P Ruto of Kenya in the final, which they won 2-0 (21-11, 21-19).
It is worth noting that Cupidon and Malcouzane were the men’s doubles bronze medallists at the Ninth African Senior Badminton Championship in Algiers, Algeria, in 2006. They also made the final of the 10th contest in Mauritius last year but settled for the silver medal as they lost the final 0-2 (17-21 and 16-21) against the Dednam brothers – Chris and Roelof – of South Africa.
Indian Anand Chetan won the men’s singles gold medal by beating Spaniard A Crespo 2-0 (21-14, 21-7) in the final. The ladies’ singles title went to Portuguese A Moura with her 2-1 (19-21, 21-14, 21-19) final win against Spaniard Y Martinez.
The South African pair of Chantal Botts and Edwards triumphed 2-0 (21-14, 21-8) in the ladies’ doubles final, while the mixed doubles title was won by Nigerians Grace Daniel and G Okuonghae with a 2-0 (21-8, 21-17) score.

Badminton - Cupidon, Malcouzane leave for Kenya International G. G. Seychelles Nation Onlines 27.03.2008
BADMINTON players Georgie Cupidon and Steve Malcouzane leave today for Kenya where they will participate in the Kenya International, formerly known as the Kenya Open tournament.
Malcouzane (left) and Cupidon will play the men’s doubles at the Kenya International Reigning two-time Sportsman of the Year Cupidon and Malcouzane will only compete in the men’s doubles event of this year’s Kenya International slated for March 28 - 30.
The tournament was originally scheduled to be played from March 23 to 25, but it was postponed as it was the Easter weekend, an important day of religious reverence for the Christian community in Kenya, just like in Seychelles.
The change of dates was approved by the Badminton World Federation and Badminton Confederation of Africa.
Men’s doubles bronze medallist at the Ninth African Senior Badminton Championship in Algiers, Algeria in 2006, Cupidon and Malcouzane made the final of the 10th edition in Mauritius last year but settled for the silver medal as they lost the final 0-2 (17-21 et 16-21) against the Dednam brothers - Chris et Roelof – of South Africa.
It is worth noting that the last time Seychellois badminton players participated in the Kenya International was in 2000 when Cupidon and Sportslady of the Year Juliette Ah-Wan retained the mixed doubles title they had won the previous year.

Sports Awards of the Year 2007 - Ah-Wan, Cupidon rewarded Nation Seychelles 28.01.2008
Our photo shows the badminton pair of Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon after they had received the Sportslady of the Year and Sportsman of the Year floating trophies from guest of honour President James Michel (second from left).

Also in the picture are the Minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports & Culture Vincent Meriton (left), the chief executive officer of Cable and Wireless (Seychelles) Charles Hammond (second from right), and Air Seychelles’ public relations and communications manager Glenn Pillay (right).
This is the second time in the 23-year history of the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony that the best male and female athletes come from the same sport. The first time was in 1992 and the top awards went to track and field athletes Mirenda Francourt and Danny Beauchamp.
The Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony was held last Friday night at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS).

Sports Awards of the Year 2007 - Ah-Wan, Cupidon scoop top awards Nation Seychelles 28.01.2008
THE sport of badminton registered another success last Friday as Georgie Cupidon picked up his second Sportsman of the Year award in a row and Juliette Ah-Wan returned as Sportslady of the Year, seven years after her first triumph.

President Michel hands over the huge floating cup to Cupidon Ah-Wan and Cupidon, who form the Seychelles illustrious mixed doubles pair - winner of the gold medals at the Senior African Championships in Mauritius and the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algeria in 2007 – fended off stiff opposition to receive the huge floating cups from guest of honour, President James Michel, during the Sports Awards of the Year 2007 crowning ceremony held at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS).
Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Vincent Meriton presented the two badminton players with the cups which they will keep, their R15,000 cheques and certificates; on behalf Air Seychelles, Public Relations and Communications Manager Glenn Pillay handed them a return ticket to any European destination and Cable & Wireless Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Hammond gave each one of them a mobile phone.
This is only the second time in the 23-year history of the Sports Awards crowning ceremony Ah-Wan accepts the Sportslady of the Year trophy from President Michel that both the best male and female athletes come from the same sport. The first time was in 1992 when Mirenda Francourt and Danny Beauchamp coming from track and field athletics were crowned.
Besides President James Michel, First Lady Nathalie Michel and Minister Meriton, the other distinguished guests at the ceremony included Vice-President Joseph Belmont, Designated Minister Danny Faure, Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Herminie, Opposition Leader Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Court of Appeal Francis McGregor, ministers, principal secretaries and representatives of the Diplomatic Corps.
In fact, admission to last Friday’s glittering ceremony which was switched from the SMB Exhibition Hall to the ICCS was on invitation only.
Other prizes
As runners-up, Laser sailors Meggy Gertrude and Allan Julie received R8,000, 50% reduction on return tickets to Johannesburg from Air Seychelles, cups and certificates.
In third position, female athlete Lindy Leveau-Agricole and badminton player Steve Malcouzane pocketed R6,000, a cup, a certificate and a 50% reduction on return tickets to Singapore from Air Seychelles. It is to note that the National Sports Council (NSC) has sponsored the other 50% for the airline fares to Johannesburg and Singapore.
Fourth place finishers Janet Thélermont (weightlifting) and Kitson Julie (boxing) got R4,000 each, a cup and a certificate, while the two fifth finishers – badminton player Catherina Paulin and weightlifter Charles Siméon - received R3,000, a cup and a certificate.

The final line-up in the youth category

It was clearly a wonderful night for badminton as Joel Dubel was crowned Young Male Athlete of the Year, while Laser sailor Meggy Gertrude took the Young female Athlete of the Year title. They both received R3,000, a cup and a certificate.
As runners-up, basketballer Abdel Sylla and volleyballer Marielle Bonne got R2,000, a cup and a certificate, while third place finishers table tennis player Anniessa Benstrong and footballer Aaron Jean received R1,000, a cup and a certificate.
Cable & Wireless CEO Hammond and Thomas Dauban, director of Human Resources within the same telecommunication company, presented the prizes to the young athletes.
During the same ceremony, which saw performances by Elijah, André Sinon, Christianna Alexis and the School of Dance, all male and female athletes chosen as the best by their respective federations or associations got R3,000.
Four special awards were also given out on the night with basketball referee Tracey Hétimier being voted official of the year, William Dixie coach of the year, George Sicobo volunteer of the year and the Seychelles Table Tennis Association (STTA) best federation/association of the year.
For the first time in the history of the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony, disabled athletes received certificates and the recipients were Lorna Lespoir and Steven Ernesta.
……………..
What the winners said:
Sportsman of the Year Georgie Cupidon
“When I was crowned Sportsman of the Year 2006, I said that I would work hard to retain the title. I’ve done it and the target is to win a third consecutive title. I thank everyone who has helped me in one way or another in achieving victory on the court. I deserved to win in 2006 and I deserve it again in 2007.”
Sportslady of the Year Juliette Ah-Wan
“I always told myself that I should win the Sportslady of the Year title a second time after my first triumph in 2000. The day has come and I’m happy. I’m looking forward for a third win. I would also like to thank the sport entourage for its support and guidance.”
Young Male Athlete of the Year Joel Dubel
“I’m happy to win the title as I didn’t expect victory tonight (Friday night). My target for the 2008 season is to win a medal at the forthcoming Jeux de la CJSOI in Seychelles.”
Young Female Athlete of the Year Meggy Gertrude
“I’m happy to win the Young Female Athlete of the Year title and I was also hoping to win the Sportslady of the Year crown. I felt I lost the prestigious title because I only competed in one international competition – the All-Africa Games – in 2007. May I take this opportunity to point out that the training environment for sailing here isn’t good and we also do not have a coach.”

Sports Awards of the Year 2007 - Grand slam for badminton G.G. Nation Seychelles 26.01.2008
GEORGIE Cupidon reasserted his status as Seychelles’ top athlete by picking up a second Sportsman of the Year title in a row during the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony on a big night for badminton.

In fact it was a grand slam for badminton as it is the second time in the 23-year history of the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony that the best male and female athletes come from the same sport.
With a bucket-load of nominations, the sport of badminton also had Juliette Ah-Wan crowned Sportslady of the Year for her second triumph.
Previously honoured in 2000, Ah-Wan was up against Laser sailor Meggy Gertrude (runner-up), athlete Lindy Leveau-Agricole (third), weightlifter Janet Thélermont (fourth) and fellow badminton player Catherina Paulin (fifth).
Cupidon and Ah-Wan formed the illustrious Seychelles pair who won the mixed doubles titles at both the African Senior Championship and the Ninth All-Africa Games. They also led Seychelles to winning the team event gold medal at the African Senior Championship
Winner of the team event bronze medal at the Eighth All-Africa Junior Badminton Championship, Joel Dubel was the third badminton player to be crowned last night as he took home the Young Male Athlete of the Year title.
The Young Female Athlete of the Year award went to Laser sailor Meggy Gertrude who made history by winning Seychelles’ first gold medal at the All-Africa Games and that came in Algiers, Algeria, 29 years after the country first participated in the African manifestation in the Algerian capital city in 1978.
The Sports Awards of the Year 2007 ceremony was held last night at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS).

Sports Awards of the Year 2007 - Cupidon and Ah-Wan make history Nation Seychelles 26.01.2008
BADMINTON players Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon have done it. While Cupidon has retained the Sportsman of the Year title he won in 2006, Ah-Wan is back as Sportslady of the Year after a first triumph in 2000.
Seychelles Nation presents you with short profiles of the top five chosen from the finalists in both the female and male categories.
Badminton player Georgie Cupidon – Sportsman of the Year
Local competitions: Curtain-raiser mixed double winner
International competitions: Mixed doubles gold medallist with Juliette Ah-Wan at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria
Team event bronze medallist at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria
Team event gold medallist at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Mixed doubles gold medallist with Juliette Ah-Wan at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Men’s doubles silver medallist with Steve Malcouzane at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Mixed doubles silver medallist with Juliette Ah-Wan at the Mauritius Open
Seychelles’ undisputed number one player, Georgie Cupidon became the first badminton player to win the Sportsman of the Year title in 2006 and the 26-year-old has retained the title after an eventful and rewarding 2007 season.

Badminton player Steve Malcouzane – third place finisher

National competitions: None
International competitions: Team event gold medallist at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Men’s doubles silver medallist with Georgie Cupidon at the African Senior Badminton Championship
Men’s doubles silver medallist with Georgie Cupidon at the Mauritius Open
Team event bronze medallist at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria
The country’s number two player, Steve Malcouzane played an important role in landing the Seychelles squad the gold medal of the team event at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius. He is Georgie Cupidon’s partner in the men’s doubles event.

Badminton player Juliette Ah-Wan – Sportslady of the Year
National competitions: Curtain-raiser tournament – Winner of the ladies’ singles, ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles
International competitions: Mixed doubles gold medallist with Georgie Cupidon at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria
Team event bronze medallist at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria
Team event gold medallist at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Mixed doubles gold medallist with Georgie Cupidon at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Ladies’ doubles bronze medallist with Catherina Paulin at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius
Mixed doubles silver medallist with Georgie Cupidon at the Mauritius Open
This is the second time Juliette Ah-Wan wins the Sportslady of the Year title. Her first triumph came in 2000. The country’s female number one player for many years now, Ah-Wan joined forces with Georgie Cupidon to help the Seychelles mixed doubles team ranked first in Africa.
The 26-year-old, who won the young female athlete of the year title three times (1997, 1998 and 1999), was runner-up to Sportsladies of the Year Sophia Vandagne in 1999 and Janet Thélermont in 2002, finished third in 2006 and was fourth overall in 2003 and 2004.

Badminton player Catherina Paulin – fifth place finisher

National competitions: None
International competitions: Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria – team event bronze medallist
African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius - team event gold medallist and ladies’ doubles bronze medallist alongside Juliette Ah-Wan
This is the first time Catherina Paulin gets a top-five finish. The 22-year-old played an important role in landing the Seychelles squad the numerous titles they won in 2007.

Archives 2007

HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2007 Tue 11/27/2007 12:50 PM XD
Yohan Hadikusumo WIRATAMA / Hoi Wah CHAU (HKG) - Georgie CUPIDON / Juliette AH-WAN (SEY) : 21-10 / 21-18 0h18'

China Open Badminton Championships - 24.11.2007 G. G. Nation Seychelles Online
Cupidon/Ah-Wan pair loses to World number one duo

PAIRED against the World number one duo of Bo Zheng and Gao Ling, Seychelles’ top mixed doubles pair of Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan knew it needed a miracle for it to progress to the next round of the ongoing China Open Badminton Championships.
Ranked number one in Africa and 82nd worldwide, Ah-Wan and Cupidon lost 0-2 (11-21, 7-21) on court number one inside the Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China.
The Chinese mixed doubles pair of Bo Zheng and Gao Ling has so far this year won the Sudirman Cup (Glasgow, Scotland, June 10 - June 17), Malaysia Open (Kuala Lumpur, January 16 - January 21), Korea Open (Seoul, January 23 - January 28), All England Open (Birmingham, March 6 - March 11), Saralee Thungthongkam (Thailand), China Masters (Chengdu, July 10 - July 15), and Japan Open (Tokyo, September 11 - September 16). It lost the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August on a 0-2 (16-21, 14-21) score to Nova Widianto and Lilyana Natsir.
The 2007 China Open Super Series is the 11th tournament of the 2007 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super Series and it will end on Sunday November 25.
The six-star World Grand Prix has a total prize-money of US $250,000 on offer.
Reigning two-time African Senior Badminton Championship’s mixed doubles champions and gold medallists at the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, Seychellois shuttlers Cupidon and Ah-Wan will now focus on participating in this year's last Super Series tournament, the Hong Kong Open, from November 27 to December 2.
This event is one of the qualifying tours of the Badminton World Federation Super Series offering prize money worth US$250,000.

CHINA OPEN SUPER SERIES 2007 Wed 11/21/2007 9:00 AM XD
Bo ZHENG [1] / Ling GAO (CHN) - Georgie CUPIDON / Juliette AH-WAN (SEY) : 21-11 / 21/7 0h19'

Badminton - Cupidon/Ah-Wan pair vies for Olympic spot 16.11.2007 G. G. Nation Seychelles Online
IT has a good chance of becoming Seychelles’ first badminton pair to qualify for the Olympic Games, but to be sure of making it to Beijing, China, next year, the country’s illustrious mixed doubles duo of Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan has to maintain or improve its world ranking.
The pair is to leave this weekend for China to participate in one of the Super Series – the China Open Badminton Championships - from November 20 to 25 in Guangzhou. Ah-Wan and Cupidon are to participate in two Super Series in China and Hong Kong This won’t be the two shuttlers’ first participation in the International Badminton Federation six-star World Grand Prix with a total prize-money of US $250,000 on offer.
They used last year’s participation in the championships as a preparation for a major event – the African Senior Badminton Championship in December 2006 held in Algiers, Algeria.
They won the mixed doubles title for the first time to qualify for the World Badminton Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from August 13-19, 2007.
They went on to retain the African Championships’ mixed doubles titles in Mauritius in April this year and then returned to Algeria in July for the Ninth All-Africa Games.
Inside the same OMS El Biar Hall in Algiers, the Seychellois pair showed its opponents that it remains the best on the continent with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win against the Nigerian pair of Grace Daniel and G. Okuongahe in the final.
From Malaysia in August, Ah-Wan and Cupidon returned home before taking part in the French Open last month. The pair has amassed a little over 1,400 points from participating in both events.
After having participated in the China Open Badminton Championships - the last international tournament to be held in China before the Olympics next year - the two top Seychellois shuttlers will compete in this year's last Super Series tournament, the Hong Kong Open, from November 27 to December 2.
Ranked number one in Africa and 28th worldwide, the pair of Ah-Wan and Cupidon can qualify for next year’s Olympic Games provided it continues to garner points in the different competitions it takes part in.
Sixteen (16) pairs will play in Beijing with the top 11 teams worldwide automatically qualifying for the Olympics. The remaining five teams will come from the five continental confederations and this is why it is important for the Seychelles pair to hold on to first place in Africa.

Internationaux de France (Super series) 30 octobre au 4 novembre 2007
SEYCHELLES : Cupidon Georgie, Ah-Wan Juliette

Stade de Coubertin - Paris (France) Photos : badminton.photo.com

30/10/2007 11:40 AM XD - Qualification :
Imogen BANKIER SCO - Robert BLAIR ENG / Juliette AH-WAN - Georgie CUPIDON SEY : 21-13 / 21-19 en 0:21

Eighth All-African Junior Championship - Three bronze medals for Seychelles G. G. 29.08.2007 Nation.sc.online
THE seven-member Seychelles junior badminton team are to return home today with three bronze medals after participating in the Eighth All-Africa Junior Badminton Championship.

Course won three bronze medals in the team event, ladies’ singles and ladies’ doubles The Seychelles team made up of Alisen Camille, Kevin Ghislain, Richie Course, Cynthia Course, Alan Low, Danielle Jupiter and Joel Dubel won the bronze medal of the team event after losing to South Africa in the semifinal.
The South African team eventually won the gold medal following their 3-1 final win over Egypt who beat Mauritius in the other semifinal.
In the ladies’ singles event, Cynthia Course’s march towards the gold medal was stopped in the semifinal and she had to settle for the bronze. South African Shereen Matthews was the ladies’ singles gold medallist.
Seychelles’ third bronze medal was won by the ladies’ doubles pair. Again Course was involved and her partner was Alisen Camille.
It was another South African pair - Jennifer Fry and Candice Mann – who won the ladies’ doubles gold medal.
In fact, South Africa almost made a clean sweep of all the titles in the individual events as Jacob Malielkal won the men's singles title and Reinard Louw teamed up with Jennifer Fry to win the mixed doubles gold.
Jacob Malielkal and Candice Mann settled for the silver medal in the men’s doubles.
The championships were held at the St Joseph College in Gaborone, Botswana.

Seven local players at Eighth All-African Junior Championship Badminton - 25.08.2007 Nation.sc.online

SEVEN local badminton players are currently on an overseas mission in Botswana precisely at the St Joseph College, participating in the Eighth All-Africa Junior Badminton Championship.

The team before leaving for Botswana

The seven players - Alison Camille, Kevin Ghislain, Richie Course, Cynthia Course, Alan Low, Danielle Jupiter and Joel Dubel - are being accompanied by Chinese coach Luo and Seychellois assistant coach Gerard Bibi.
By the time of going to press, the results of the team event were not known while individual events were to start yesterday.

Les Mauriciens se sont bien défendus, hier, à l’issue de la première journée de compétition comptant pour les Championnats d’Afrique individuels. Kate Foo Kune et Yeldi Louison se sont qualifiées pour le deuxième tour. La première nommée affrontera une Seychelloise tandis que Louison sera en action face à une Égyptienne, ce matin. Dimitry Duval est le seul rescapé chez les garçons. Il affrontera un Nigérian au prochain tour.
En double dames, Kate Foo Kune et Yeldi Louison seront opposées à un duo Zambie-Égypte. Du côté masculin, la paire Daven Patty-Dimitry Duval affrontera un duo seychellois au prochain tour.
Nos représentants se sont également bien comportés en double mixte. Patty-Foo Kune affrontera une paire zambienne, aujourd’hui, tandis que l’autre paire mauricienne composée d’Amit Alleck et Yeldi Louison en découdra avec deux Sud-Africains.
Selon l’entraîneur national, Annirao Dajee, Maurice est assurée de la médaille de bronze dans certaines épreuves. « Il nous faudra travailler pour l’argent », dit-il.
À noter que les finales seront disputées demain.

	PROTON WBF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 13-19 Août 2007 Kuala Lumpur MALAISIE
Présence Africaine :	SH : Lasmari N. (ALG) SD : Foo Kune K. (MRI) DH : Patel H. & Ruto P. (KEN) - Dednam R. & Dednam C. (AFS) DD : Youssef A. & Hosny H. (EGY) DM : James D.L. & Edwards M.C. (AFS) - Cupidon G. & Ah-Wan J. (SEY)

Badminton - Cupidon/Ah-Wan pair for World Championships 07.08.2007 Nation.sc.online G. G.

SEYCHELLES’ illustrious badminton mixed doubles pair of Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan is to leave the country this coming Saturday for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to participate in the 2007 Proton-BWF World Badminton Championships.
The two players are to be accompanied by Seychellois Ah-Wan and Cupidon are to participate in the World Championships coach Calix Francourt and the event will be held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur from August 13-19.
Cupidon and Ah-Wan qualified for the World Badminton Championships in Mauritius in April this year when they retained their African Championships’ mixed doubles title won for the first time in Algiers, Algeria in December 2006.
When they returned to Algeria last month for the Ninth All-Africa Games, the Seychellois pair showed its opponents that it remains the best on the continent with a 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win against the Nigerian pair of Grace Daniel and G. Okuongahe in the final.
Other than the Ah-Wan/Cupidon pair, Africa will be represented in Kuala Lumpur by a second mixed doubles duo of Michelle Edwards and James Dorian of South Africa.
A total of 64 pairs will be participating in the mixed doubles events and they will all be vying to garner maximum points possible to better their standings in the world ranking for a place at next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Cupidon and Ah-Wan will meet Filipinos Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion in the first round and in the event of a win they will play the winners of match number 18 between Singaporeans Yanei Jians/Hendra Wijaya and Germans Birgit Overzier/Kristof Hopp.
Speaking to Sports Nation, Seychelles Badminton Association chairman Michel Bau said that “the cream of the world’s badminton will be in Malaysia for the World Championships. If Ah-Wan and Cupidon can at least win their first round match, they will accumulate some points in their bid to qualify for the Olympics in 2008.”
Mr Bau added that the pair is to compete in at least nine competitions in order to qualify for the Olympics.
The top seed in the mixed doubles are Chinese players Zheng Bo and Gao Ling, while the Briton pair of Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson leads the world ranking.


Cupidon Georgie	Malcouzane Steve	Jumaye Nicholas Joseph	Ah-Wan Juliette	Paulin Catherina	Course Cynthia

Ninth All-Africa Games and the African Senior Badminton Championship - Local athletes rewarded 31.07.2007 Nation.sc.online
LOCAL athletes who won medals at the recent Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria and the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius were rewarded last night at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles.

The occasion was the sending off of the Seychelles team for the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games to be held in Madagascar from August 9 to 19.
It was the Minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr Vincent Meriton, who gave the athletes their financial rewards in the presence of President James Michel, Vice-President Joseph Belmont, high government officials and invited guests.
Female sailor Meggy Gertrude receives her R10,000 cheque from Minister Meriton A Seychellois athlete who wins a gold medal at the All-Africa Games gets R10,000 and the prizes went to female sailor Meggy Gertrude and the badminton mixed doubles duo of Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon.
The three silver medallists - female javelin specialist Lindy Leveau-Agricole, female weightlifter Janet Thélermont in the 69kg category, and male laser standard sailor Allan Julie – received R7,500 each.
In Algiers, Seychelles also won six bronze medals through 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). They were rewarded R5,000 for each bronze medal won.
For their mixed doubles triumph at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius in May, Ah-Wan and Cupidon got R8,000 each.
Ah-Wan and Cupidon joined forces with Cynthia Course, Minister Meriton in a group photograph with the badminton medallists Catherina Paulin, Shirley Etienne, Nicholas Jumaye and Steve Malcouzane to win the team event gold medal at the African Championship and all members of the team earned R8,000.
The men’s doubles pair of Malcouzane and Cupidon lost the final to the Dednam brothers from South Africa to settle for the runners-up berth worth R6,000.
As for the ladies’ doubles team of Ah-Wan and Paulin, it finished third after losing in the semifinal and they won R4,000 each.

Ninth All-Africa Games and the African Senior Badminton ChampionshipLocal athletes rewarded 31/07/2007 Virtual Seychelles news

LOCAL athletes who won medals at the recent Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria and the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius were rewarded last night at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles.
The occasion was the sending off of the Seychelles team for the Seventh Indian Ocean Islands Games to be held in Madagascar from August 9 to 19.
It was the Minister for Community Development, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr Vincent Meriton, who gave the athletes their financial rewards in the presence of President James Michel, Vice-President Joseph Belmont, high government officials and invited guests.
A Seychellois athlete who wins a gold medal at the All-Africa Games gets R10,000 and the prizes went to female sailor Meggy Gertrude and the badminton mixed doubles duo of Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon.
The three silver medallists - female javelin specialist Lindy Leveau-Agricole, female weightlifter Janet Thélermont in the 69kg category, and male laser standard sailor Allan Julie – received R7,500 each.
In Algiers, Seychelles also won six bronze medals through 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). They were rewarded R5,000 for each bronze medal won.
For their mixed doubles triumph at the African Senior Badminton Championship in Mauritius in May, Ah-Wan and Cupidon got R8,000 each.
Ah-Wan and Cupidon joined forces with Cynthia Course, Catherina Paulin, Shirley Etienne, Nicholas Jumaye and Steve Malcouzane to win the team event gold medal at the African Championship and all members of the team earned R8,000.
The men’s doubles pair of Malcouzane and Cupidon lost the final to the Dednam brothers from South Africa to settle for the runners-up berth worth R6,000.
As for the ladies’ doubles team of Ah-Wan and Paulin, it finished third after losing in the semifinal and they won R4,000 each.

Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria - 21.07.2007 By Gerard Govinden in Algiers Nation.sc.online 24/07/2007
Gold medallists Gertrude, Ah-Wan and Cupidon live their dreams
SAILOR Meggy Gertrude and badminton players Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan are sure to keep a diary of their participation in the Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.

They must also have already highlighted Thursday July 19, 2007. This is because on this day they gave Seychelles its first gold medals in seven participations in the quadrennial Games.
Meggy Gertrude, 17, made history for Seychelles in these Games by winning the country's first ever gold medal and she achieved the feat in the Laser 4.7 category at around 2 p.m. (5 p.m. Seychelles time).
As Gertrude was receiving her gold medal and the country's national anthem - Koste Seselwa - was being played and the Seychelles flag was being raised to the sky at the Alger plage where the sailing competition had taken place, the badminton mixed doubles duo of Ah-Wan and Cupidon was on the verge of writing another interesting script in Seychelles' sports history.

By 8 p.m. (11 p.m. Seychelles time), Ah-Wan and Cupidon had emulated Gertrude's feat. They had won the badminton mixed doubles gold medal inside the Salle OMS El Biar in Algiers.
It has taken Seychelles 29 years to win its first gold medals in the All-Africa Games after the country first participated in the African manifestation in the Algerian capital city of Algiers in 1978.
Used to sailing alongside male opponents in Seychelles, Meggy Gertrude, who was to take part in the Laser radial class initially but opted for a Laser 4.7 upon arriving in Algeria, did not find it tough to cope with this same situation in Algiers.
She collected six first places, four second places, a fourth place and a fifth place. After her worst two races were discarded, she finished with 16 points for first place overall in the women's Laser 4.7 class.
She was fifth in the mixed overall standing and even finished well ahead of a male competitor.
As for Ah-Wan and Juliette, they played in the day's fifth and last final of the Games' badminton competition and they proved that they remain the best mixed team around on the continent at the moment.
Crowned African mixed doubles champions in the same Salle OMS El Biar in Algiers in December 2006, Ah-Wan and Cupidon successfully defended their title in Mauritius earlier this year.
Against Nigerians Grace Daniel and G. Okuongahe, Ah-Wan and Cupidon were determined for victory and they achieved the feat with an impressive 2-0 (21-14, 21-17) win.
By today, Seychelles has won 10 medals - two gold, two silver and six bronzes.
Other than gold medallists Meggy Gertrude, Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon, the other Seychelles' medallists so far in the ninth edition of the All-Africa Games are female weightlifter Janet Thélermont (one silver and one bronze in the 69kg category), male laser standard sailor Allan Julie (one silver medal), female weightlifter Clementina Agricole
(three bronze in the 58kg category), 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).
With its 10 medals, Seychelles was occupying 11th place by Thursday night on the medals table being led by host country Algeria with 151 medals - 52 gold, 43 silver and 56 bronze.
South Africa is second with 132 medals - 49 gold, 42 silver and 41 bronze - while in third place is Egypt with 128 medals - 44 gold, 45 silver and 39 bronze.
Seychelles still had a chance to better the medals tally as athletes Lindy Leveau-Agricole and William Woodcock are expected in action this weekend, while the women's volleyball team have reached the semifinals where they will play Cameroon today at the Salle OMS Mustapha Thacker in Blida.

Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria - 21.07.2007 Nation.sc.online
What the gold medallists said:
Juliette Ah-Wan: "Winning the mixed doubles title is a result of the time and energy Georgie and I invested in training while in China. You have to make a lot of sacrifices and my family has been very understanding. I thank each one of them for believing in me and helping me in every way they could. Ialso thank the Seychelles government for believing in local sportsmen and women. I'm proud of what we have done. I still haven't celebrated the win. I'mwaiting until I return home to show my joy and celebrate the win."

Georgie Cupidon: "Winning the mixed doubles gold medal at the All-Africa Games is a result of years ofhard work. Although I went through some difficulties, I persevered. I'm very happy with what I've achieved together with Juliette. It's true that we failed to win other titles, but I believe everything happens for a reason. It's not only Juliette and I who are happy. The other members of the team and the coaches are very glad that we've achieved our objective. This is incredible. We've won three mixed doubles titles in less than a year. I'm proud of what we've done.

Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers - Nation.sc.online 20.07.2007 Badminton
Cupidon/Ah-Wan pair makes mixed doubles final

THE country's star mixed doubles pair of Georgie Cupi The mixed doubles pair of Cupidon and Ah-Wan were expected to contest the finals last night don and Juliette Ah-Wan was in last night's final against the duo of Grace Daniel and G. Okuongahe from Nigeria.
A win against the Nigerians in the final, will mean a gold medal for Seychelles and in the event of a defeat, the mixed doubles duo will have to settle for the second position and the silver medal.
In yesterday morning's semifinal, Seychelles' star mixed pair of Cupidon and Ah-Wan
defeated the South African duo of Rudolf Dednam and Kerry Lee Harrington 2-1 (21-17, 19-21, 21-13).
In the ladies' singles, Catherina Paulin won a bronze medal yesterday after losing her
semifinal clash 0-2 (14-21, 24-22) to South African Michelle Edwards who had beaten Juliette Ah-Wan in the quarterfinals the day before.
Paulin, who was transported to hospital with a knee injury immediately after the semifinal showdown, beat Nigerian G. Gabriel 2-0, Egyptian Hosny Hadia 2-0 and South African Lee Harington 2-0 in her first three matches.
Meanwhile, the country's two other mixed doubles pairs were eliminated in the second round.
Steve Malcouzane and Catherina Paulin fe Ladies’ singles’ bronze medallist Catherina Paulin (foreground). She is pictured here with Juliette Ah-Wan in the ladies’ doubles ll 0-2 to Zambia's O. Sianmpangilo and E. Mambwe, while Nicholas Jumaye and Cynthia Course defeated a Ghanaian pair 2-0 before losing 0-2 to Algerians A Boudaoui and K. Rezig.
In the men's doubles, Cupidon and Malcouzane lost 0-2 to the South African duo of W. Viljoen and Dorian James after beating the Algerian duo of Betahar and Mahlous in the earlier round.
As for Jumaye, he teamed up with Zambian E. Edwards but lost 0-2 to A. Zeradine and K. Rezig of Algeria in the second round.
The women's doubles team of Ah-Wan and Paulin defeated the Algerian pair of M. Menasri and A. Boudaoui 2-0 in their first match before falling 0-2 to Grace Daniel and J. Ideh of Nigeria in the quarterfinals.
Cynthia Course teamed up with Zambian Olga Giamupangilao to beat Mauritians Kate Foo-Kune and D. Bailache 2-0 and in the quarterfinals, they fell 0-2 to South Africa's Chantal Botts and Michelle Edwards.
In the men's singles, Malcouzane won a bye then defeated Algerian F. Betahar 2-0, only to lose 0-2 to Nigerian J. Ifraimu in the quarterfinals.
Jumaye whitewashed Mauritian Sahir Edoo 2-0 in his first match before losing 0-2 to Algerian and African champion Zeradine in the second round.
Back to the ladies' singles, Cynthia Course walked over A. Hocine of Algeria and then met African ladies' singles champion Grace Daniel of Nigeria. She lost 0-2 (7-21, 8-21).
Local number one female player Ah-Wan whitewashed Mauritian Kate Foo-Kune 2-0 (21-8, 21-12) in her first match to meet Algerian A. Boudaoui whom she beat 2-0.
A two-time former African ladies' singles champion, Ah-Wan was denied a place in the semifinal when she lost 0-2 to South African Michelle Edwards.

Seychelles' badminton miracle -- made in China By Sportswriters Lin Jianyang, Ma Bangjie Editor: Sun Yunlong 2007-07-18 site chinaview.cn

Luo Guohui (File Photo)     ALGIERS, July 17 (Xinhua) -- For the African continent, Seychelles is merely an archipelago in the Indian Ocean unknown to many. But for African badminton, Seychelles has become a major power running neck and neck with heavyweights such as Nigeria and South Africa.
    Much of this should be credited to Luo Guohui, a 45-year-old Chinese coach who has brought from scratch African champion titles to the tiny inland country, which has a total population of no more than 82,000.
    While for Luo, he would never in his wildest dream imagine that he could become a hero and household name in a country that he had never heard of before his arrival over 10 years ago.
    Vying for golds at All-Africa Games
    In the Algerian capital Algiers, Luo has been leading his six-person badminton team to fight for Seychelles at the ninth All-Africa Games.
    As the individual badminton events started on Tuesday, Luo has become more intent on snatching gold medal and making up for their disappointing 2-3 defeat to South Africa in the semi-final of the team event on Sunday.
    "It is a great pity that our team has lost to South Africa," Luo told Xinhua. "We are really able to defeat them but we are not lucky enough."
    Seychelles and South Africa ran into a thrilling encounter in the semi-final of the team event. The two teams went right down to the final men's doubles clash, in which Seychellois Georgie Cupidon and Steve Malcouzane lost to South Africans by two sets toone.
    The defeat to South Africa resulted in a share of bronze medal by host team Algeria and Seychelles, which had also won the bronze at the eighth All-Africa Games in 2003 in Nigeria.
    However, Luo said he was still optimistic over Seychelles' performance in the individual events. "We still have hopes, particularly in the mixed-doubles event," he said.
    "If we snatch the mixed-doubles gold, it will be a historic breakthrough for Seychelles at the All-Africa Games," said Luo.
    Seychellois mixed doubles, Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan, currently ranked the first in Africa and the 82nd place in the world.
    Rising from zero to African champions
    Cupidon and Ah-Wan, both born in 1981, were teenagers when Luo arrived in Seychelles in 1995. "Badminton was really unpopular at that time as Seychellois people are fascinated with football," said Luo.
    Luo, who was former coach of a Chinese provincial badminton team, had no choice but to start from zero in the country.
    "I chose several very young beginners and started teaching them those basic badminton techniques, including how to correctly hold the racket," Luo recalled.
    "They are not professionals. In other time, they have own jobs to do. So we could only train about two and a half hours every day and four days per week."
    More than that, Luo's team has been constantly plagued by the lack of financial support to train and register for competitions.
    Though so, Luo and his team had never given up. Gradually, their unswerving efforts got paid off as team members began to bring home with badminton medals in regional and international games.
    In December of 2006, also in Algiers, Seychelles made a real challenge to African badminton powers when Cupidon and Ah-Wan teamed up to win the mixed-doubles gold medal of the African Senior Badminton Championship.
    Last month in Mauritius, the Seychellois team further sent a shock wave to the African badminton arena. Cupidon and Ah-Wan not only successfully defended their mixed doubles title, but also played a big role in helping Seychelles put an end to South Africa's seven-year reign as African team champions with a 3-2 final win.
    "We have been making progress with big strides. Nowadays, Seychelles has become a competing power in Africa's badminton," said Luo.
    Why so successful? "Luo has brought very advanced training fashion to us from China, and his training scheme is absolutely excellent. Of course, we have also been working very hard to improve," Cupidon told Xinhua.
    In the last few years, Luo has brought his team to China several times for good training as well as competitions, including China Open badminton championships.
    Seen as badminton godfather in Seychelles
    The successes in regional and international competitions have brought much fame to Luo, now a father of two after marrying a Seychellois woman of French origin.
    "Seychelles is very beautiful and I feel very good staying there, " said Luo. "Because of frequent appearance in local media, I am quite famous in Seychelles and most people know my name."
    Michel Bau, chairman of Seychelles Badminton Association, told Xinhua in fluent Chinese that Luo was currently the best badminton coach in Africa.
    "Many African countries are seeking after him, such as Nigeria, South Africa and Mauritius. But I can't let him go," said Bau, who had spent and studied in China's prestigious Tsinghua University for six years in the 1980s.
    Luo has made great contributions to badminton sports in Seychelles, said Bau. "Badminton in my country would never achieve current status without Guohui. He has really created a miracle."
    "Luo is also really a nice guy. We are both colleagues and good friends. If he leaves Seychelles, I will quit my job as chairman of badminton association," Bau said.
    Cupidon echoed Bau's sentiment. "He is my coach. But we are also very good friends. We joke with each other. I also learn the Chinese language from him, sometimes dirty words," Cupidon said, bursting out laughing.
    Cupidon, who was a driver for the Seychellois customs authority when he didn't play badminton, attributed his success to Luo.
    "I am now a hero in my country and many people know me. People say hi to me on the streets. But without Luo, I am really nobody," said Cupidon.     Indeed, Cupidon has been named Seychelles' Sportsman of the Year. And this time in Algiers, he was further chosen as Team Seychelles' flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the ninth All-Africa Games.

Ninth All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria - 17.07.2007 Nation.sc.online By Gerard Govinden in Algiers
Badminton: Team event
Seychelles settle for bronze, Nigeria gold medallists

SEYCHELLES made its official entry in the medals The Seychellois duo of Georgie Cupidon and Juliette Ah-Wan against the Egyptian team during one of the group ‘A’ matches standings of the ongoing Ninth All-Africa Games on Sunday. The medal, which came in the badminton team event, is of the bronze hue although many were expecting a gold one. This means that Seychelles is
still chasing the elusive gold medal in the quadrennial Games.
Upon winning group 'A' of the team event with three victories in as many matches played, Seychelles were matched against group 'B' runners-up South Africa in the semifinals on Sunday for a place in the afternoon final.
Although Seychelles knew that South Africa would be out to gun them down after they had beaten the same South African team for the African Championships title in Mauritius earlier this year, victory was the only thing on the Seychellois players' minds.
The Seychelles team got off to a good start with their star mixed doubles pair of Juliette Ah-Wan and Georgie Cupidon beating South Africans Dorian James and Michelle Edwards 2-0.
When Steve Malcouzane lost 1-2 to Chris Dednam in the men's singles, the overall score was tied at 1-1.
Ah-Wan then restored the lead when she took to the court in the ladies' singles, getting a 2-0 victory over Steffy Doubell.
The men's doubles pair of Cupidon and Malcouzane was then edged 1-2 by the Dednam brothers - Chris and Rudolf.
A fifth and decisive match was therefore needed to decide the finalists, but with Ah-Wan having already played two matches - the maximum allowed against any opponent in the team event – Cynthia Course had to partner Catherina Paulin in the ladies' doubles which they lost 0-2 to Michelle Edwards and Chantal Botts.
Seychelles had to be contented with the bronze medal like in 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria, as South Africa progressed to the final where they were whitewashed 3-0 by Nigeria who ha

HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2007 Tue 11/27/2007 12:50 PM XD Yohan Hadikusumo WIRATAMA / Hoi Wah CHAU (HKG) - Georgie CUPIDON / Juliette AH-WAN (SEY) : 21-10 / 21-18 0h18'

HONG KONG SUPER SERIES 2007 Tue 11/27/2007 12:50 PM XD
Yohan Hadikusumo WIRATAMA / Hoi Wah CHAU (HKG) - Georgie CUPIDON / Juliette AH-WAN (SEY) : 21-10 / 21-18 0h18'