All-Africa Games News

Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja

Sidonie clears the bar to silver

SIDONIE ... high jump silver medallist

SEYCHELLES isn't moving up on the medals table of the Eighth All-Africa Games because the country's gold medal column remains empty, but Seychellois athletes are continuing their good performances in the continent's biggest multi-sports event which comes to a close Saturday October 18.

Inside the Abuja National Stadium, venue of the track and field competition, on Wednesday October 15, high jumper Jude Sidonie cleared the bar at a height of 2.10 metres to win the event's silver medal.

The gold medal went to Kabelo Mmomo of Botswana with a best effort of 2.15 metres, while Nigerian Samsun Idiata took the bronze with 2.10 metres.

Sidonie, silver medallist at the recent Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Mauritius, is the second Seychellois on the country's athletics to win a silver medal in Abuja.

Female javelin specialist Lindy Leveaux, who missed out on a bronze medal in the javelin event in her debut at the Seventh All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1999, won a silver on Monday, coming out second to gold medallist Aida Sellam of Tunisia.

Before Leveaux's and Sidonie's achievements, only one track and field athlete – Paul Nioze – had won a silver for Seychelles at these Games in the triple jump event in 1991 in Egypt.

The other two Seychellois silver medallists in Abuja are female weightlifter Janet Thélermont (three in the snatch, clean and jerk as well as Olympic total of the 69-kg category) on the platform of the National Centre for Women's Development and female swimmer Austin (three in the 1,500-metre freestyle, 800-metre freestyle and 400-metre individual medley) in the aquatic centre.

It is to note that female weightlifter Sophia Vandagne won a silver and two bronze in the 58-kg category of the 1999 Games in Johannesburg.

The other Seychellois to have won silver medals for Seychelles are former boxer Rival Cadeau (now Payet) in 1995 in Harare, Zimbabwe, and swimmer Benjamin Lo-Pinto in the 100-metre backstroke in 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The country's five bronze medals in Abuja have been won by cyclist Hudson Mathieu in the individual time trial, swimmer Shrone Austin in the 400-metre freestyle, the mixed badminton team of Juliette Ah-Wan, Shirley Etienne, Georgie Cupidon and Nicholas Jumaye, the ladies' doubles pair of Ah-Wan and Etienne and Ah-Wan again in the ladies' singles.

Seychelles has until now not won a medal of the gold hue in six participations at the All-Africa Games and everyone will be keeping fingers crossed to see if weightlifters Elvis Jeanne, Richard Scheer or Steven Baccus could achieve this feat.

In volleyball, the country's women's and men's team are out of the medals rankings like in 1999 in Johannesburg after failing to qualify for the semifinals in Abuja.

The women's team needed a 3-0 win against Nigeria in their final group A match on Wednesday to harbour the hope of qualifying for the semifinals, but they lost in straight sets 23-25, 19-25, 21-25.

With only one win over Ghana on a 3-0 (25-12 26-24 25-23) score and a 0-3 (21-51 25-27 24-26) loss to Cameroon in their first match , the women's team, who according to a reliable source left a good picture of Seychellois volleyball in Nigeria with middle blocker Yvonne Legaie giving a good display, finished third in group A with four points.

Hosts Nigeria won the group with an unbeaten record in three matches and they will be accompanied into the semifinals by Cameroon.

In the semifinals, Nigeria will meet group B runners-up Kenya and Cameroon will take on favourites Egypt.

Nine women's teams registered for the competition and were divided into two groups of four and five.

In the men's competition, Seychelles, drawn in the five-team group B, registered two wins over Rwanda 3-1 (25-19 24-26 25-21 25-16) and 3-0 (25-21 25-19 25-19) over Botswana and lost 0-3 (23-15 20-25 15-25) to Egypt and 0-3 (13-25 23-25 14-25) to Cameroon.

With six points from four matches, Seychelles, coached by James Camille, took third place behind group winners Egypt and runners-up Cameroon, the All-Africa Games defending champions and this year's African Nations' Cup bronze medallists.

In the semifinals, Egypt will match up against pool A runners-up Algeria and Cameroon will be looking to claim the scalp of hosts Nigeria, group A winners with four wins in as many matches.

G. G.