SEYCHELLES has won two more bronze medals in the badminton competition of the ongoing Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

After the first bronze medal achieved earlier this week in the mixed team event through the foursome of Juliette Ah-Wan, Shirley Etienne, Georgie Cupidon and Nicholas Jumaye, Seychellois badminton won another two medals of the bronze hue Friday October 10 in the individual competition.

Female number one Juliette Ah-Wan, who is also the defending African Championship women's singles gold medallist, lost her ladies' singles semifinal encounter, thus winning a bronze.

Ah-Wan, who won a gold medal together with Georgie Cupidon in the mixed doubles event of the recent Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Mauritius, then teamed up with Shirley Etienne in the ladies' doubles but could not make it to the final, losing the semifinal encounter.

At the end of the badminton competition, Seychelles has finished with three bronze medals and former Sportslady of the Year Ah-Wan has conquered the same total.

The badminton players are expected back home on Monday.

It is to note that badminton was making its debut at the Games.

After the first week of competition at the Games (October 4 to 18), Seychelles has won five medals – two silver and three bronze.

The two silver medals were won in the swimming pool by female swimmer Shrone Austin. The 14-year-old finished second in the 400-metre individual medley and 800-metre freestyle races.

In boxing, Jean-Paul Mellie (-60-kg), Jovet Jean (-75-kg) and Jonasson Molle (-57-kg) have all been knocked out, leaving IOIG gold medallists Alvin Gabriel (-69-kg) and Ken Jean-Charles (-91-kg) to carry the Seychelles flag in the competition.

Jean-Charles is already in the quarterfinals and he will box against Cameroonian Parfait Aimé Amougui Amougou.

It is worth noting that all boxing medallists will automatically qualify for next year's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

In volleyball, the competition is expected to start today after last night's draw. Eight women's teams, amongst them Egypt, Algeria and Seychelles, are already in Abuja.

The Seychelles women's team, who failed to reach the semifinals of the Seventh All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1999, after finishing third in Group B behind Nigeria and Kenya, are optimistic about their chances this time.

The team, captained by Jerina Bonne, are without coach Maurice Denys.