TABLE TENNIS player Rachid Rosalie, the reigning 2000 male junior athlete of the year, remains in the running to retain his title, while Natacha Bibi will surely hand over hers.

Rosalie, 15, has once again been chosen as the best junior and senior table tennis player by the Seychelles Table Tennis Association and this gives him the possibility to compete against other nominees for the junior title.

As for Diguois athlete Bibi, who was nominated as the 2001 best female footballer by the Seychelles Football Federation, she cannot defend her title because the Seychelles Amateur Athletics Federation did not choose her as its best junior athlete.

This means that Bibi, who despite having a remarkable season with medals in the Jeux de la Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l'Océan indien (CJSOI) and the African Junior Championships, will surrender the title.

The favourites to succeed Bibi are fellow athlete Helda Marie, badminton player Catherina Paulin, table tennis player Janice Esparon and tennis player Sylvie de Charmoy Lablache.

Throws specialist Marie became only the second Seychellois to win a gold medal at the African Junior Championship by winning the shot putt event with a throw of 13.58m in Mauritius.

She also won two gold medals at the African Southern Region Cadet Championship in Mauritius – in the shot putt (11.97m) for a championship record and in the hammer (36.61m).

At the Jeux de la CJSOI,  she clinched another two gold medals. Her first was in the shot putt (13.06m) for a Games record and Seychelles cadet and junior best. The 17-year-old's other gold medal came in the hammer throw with a distance of 41.43m for a combined Seychelles cadet, junior and senior record.

Catherina Paulin could become the second badminton player after three-time winner and reigning Sportslady of the Year Juliette Ah-Wan to be awarded the best young female athlete title if she gets the highest number of votes.

Paulin, who partnered Ah-Wan to win all the local ladies' doubles competitions, captured the ladies' singles gold of the CJSOI Games before winning the bronze medal in the same event of the Fifth All-Africa Junior Badminton Championship.

Table tennis player Janice Esparon, winner of three local competitions including the National League, teamed up with Queency Cadeau to win the CJSOI girls' doubles gold medal and finished with three silvers in the women's team event, mixed doubles and ladies' singles.

As for tennis player Sylvie de Charmoy Lablache, she won the country's first international tennis gold medals in two girls' doubles competitions in Mombassa, Kenya, in the U14 category.

In the male category, Rosalie will join Marvis Confait, Elvis Esparon and Jones Joubert, in the race for the best male junior title.

Rosalie, who succeeded cyclist Hedson Mathieu – a four-time winner of the best young male athlete title – won the gold medal of the Rencontre de l'Océan indien on home soil before clinching a silver (mixed doubles) and three bronze medals (team event, boys' singles and boys' doubles) at the CJSOI Games.

Hurdles specialist Marvis Confait, son of former high hurdler Vincent Confait, won the Southern Region Cadet Championship 110m hurdles gold medal in 14.82 seconds for a championship record, then grabbed a silver in the 400m hurdles before winning a bronze in the 4 x 100m relay.

Confait then clinched a silver in the 4 x 100m relay of the Fifth African Junior Championship.

Cyclist Elvis Esparon was the best junior rider in the eighth Tour des Seychelles and was fourth in the individual time trial of the African Championship.

Footballer Jones Joubert , who plays for the St Louis youth team, finished the 2001 season with only a runner-up medal after losing to St Michel on penalties in the Under-18 Vijay Cup final, but the versatile defender was one of the best players at the Fourth African Under-17 Football Championship which Seychelles hosted early last year even though the country's team lost all three of their matches played.

The two best young athletes, to be chosen by the Selection Committee with the help of the general public, will receive their prizes – R1,500 and a cup – during the January 18 crowning ceremony at the SMB Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman.

Meanwhile, members of the public can still send vote for the best male and female athletes by filling the form below. The cut-out should be addressed to Mr Jean Larue, Oceangate House, Victoria, and should reach him by January 10 the latest.