THE Sports Awards of the Year 2003 crowning ceremony is scheduled for Friday January 23, at the SMB Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman.

Like it has been the case over the past years, Sports Nation brings you short interviews with the finalists who speak about their chances of winning the huge cup, a cash prize of R15,000, a return ticket to any European destination, a small cup to keep and a certificate.

Today we publish the views of the female finalists who were chosen by the Selection Committee.

Céline Laporte – athletics

FRANCE-BASED Céline Laporte made a winning debut for Seychelles last year, claiming the heptathlon gold medal of the Sixth African Junior Athletics Championship in Garoua, Cameroon.

The 18-year-old, who could not be reached for comments, grabbed a gold medal in the long jump event of the Sixth Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG). During this same meeting in neighbouring Mauritius, Laporte won two silver medals in the high jump and 100m hurdles, as well as two bronze medals in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays.

Lindy Leveaux – athletics

CHOSEN as runner-up to Céline Laporte, Sportslady of the Year 1996 Lindy Leveaux, the best javelin talent Seychelles has ever produced, enjoyed another good season last year as she got back to full fitness after being hampered by an elbow injury during the second half of the 2002 season.

Winner of a javelin gold medal in the Air Mauritius International Meet – her fifth consecutive – plus two silvers in the javelin and discus events of the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius and a silver in the javelin event of the Seventh All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, Leveaux is unhappy with the local athletics federation's decision to seed her second to Laporte.
"I was hoping to finish among the top-three but with Céline chosen as the best female athlete, it is going to be difficult for me to get a place in the top five, said Leveaux, 25 and who has won the best female athlete award five times – 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002.

It is to note that Leveaux was fifth overall in the 2002 edition.

Juliette Ah-Wan – badminton

SPORTSLADY of the Year 2000 Juliette Ah-Wan has for the past five years featured among the 10 finalists for the female sports personality of the year award.

After another good season last year during which she won three bronze medals in the ladies' singles, ladies' doubles and mixed team event of the Eighth All-Africa Games, a gold with Georgie Cupidon in the mixed doubles as well as three silver medals in the ladies' singles, ladies' doubles and women's team event of the Sixth IOIG, Ah-Wan, 22, said that she was expecting to reach the final.

Five-time badminton player of the year Ah-Wan added that she was "happy to reach the final and I now have to wait until the day of the crowning ceremony to find out who finish in the top five."

"The final decision rests with the Selection Committee," said the three-time Young Female Athlete of the Year (1997, 1998 and 1999) and runner-up to Sportsladies of the Year Sophia Vandagne (1999) and Janet Thélermont (2002).

Shirley Etienne – badminton

WINNER of a silver medal in the team event of the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius and two bronzes in the ladies' doubles and mixed team event of the Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, Shirley Etienne has said that she is happy to have reached the final.

"It is the first time I've reached the final of the Sports Awards of the Year and I am happy to be among the finalists. Of the medals I've won, I believe the two bronze ones in the All-Africa Games are more important. As for the Sportslady of the Year crown, it will not be mine," said 26-year-old Etienne, who has been playing badminton for 12 years.

Shrone Austin – swimming

LIKE during the 2002 crowning ceremony, swimmer Shrone Austin is the youngest finalist at 14 years old and she is upbeat about her chances of winning the Sportslady of the Year crown.

Fourth overall in 2002, International School student Austin came out of Olympic swimming pools with medals of different hue last year.

During the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius, she won 11 medals – four gold, three silver and four bronze – at the Seventh All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, she claimed three silver and a bronze and at the First Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, India, she captured a gold medal.

The outgoing Young Female Athlete of the Year believes that she can match Helda Marie's feat of winning both the senior and junior titles during the same year.

"My hopes are pretty high and my results speak for themselves. I wish all the ladies who have reached the final good luck and I believe that they should all be happy with themselves for it is a great achievement to reach this far in the contest," said Austin, holder of a number of Seychelles records.

Jerina Bonne – volleyball

IT was business as usual for central blocker Jerina Bonne in an all-conquering 2003 season where her club, Anse Royale, won all the local competitions – the League championship with an unbeaten record, Curtain-raiser, Top-Four, SVF Shield and SVF Cup

During the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius last year, rapid attacker Bonne, the recipient of the Sportslady of the Year title in 1997, was also influential in helping the country's women's team retain the gold medal won for the first time in Reunion in 1998.

"I am happy to feature among the 10 finalists but I don't stand a chance of winning as other athletes performed much better than me. I will be happy if I get to finish  among the top five but again it is going to be difficult. Otherwise, I'm happy with how I performed for both club and country last year," said Bonne, 29, who finished fifth overall in 1998.

Anne Delcy  – volleyball

IT is the second time that volleyballer Anne Delcy has been nominated in the top 10 of the Sports Awards of the Year. The first time was in the 1994 edition and she did not earn a place among the top five.

Again this time, Delcy, IOIG gold medallist with the country's women's volleyball team, does not feel that she stands a chance to break into the top five.

"I don't think I stand a chance to finish in the top five because other female athletes achieved better results than me last year," noted 29-year-old Delcy, who has been playing volleyball for 13 years.

It is to note that Delcy and Cascade finished as runners-up to rivals Anse Royale in all five local competitions – the League championship, Curtain-raiser, Top-Four, SVF Shield and SVF Cup.

Janet Thélermont – weightlifting

FIVE-TIME female lifter of the year Janet Thélermont, who was placed fifth overall in 2000 and fourth in 2001 before lifting the huge cup in 2002, is confident that she can win the title for a second year in a row.

The 25-year-old, who in 2002 said that the Sportslady of the Year was like a lottery, won three gold medals in the 69-kg category at the Sixth IOIG, three silvers at the Eighth All-Africa Games and a silver at the First Afro-Asian Games Hyderabad, India, in 2003.

When asked how she fancied her chances of retaining her title, Thélermont laughed and said:

"I'm not worried about the top 10. I am focusing on the top two positions and waiting to see who between Shrone (Austin) and I will fill them and in what order. I have a strong feeling that I am going to win and if I don't I will accept the decision taken by the Selection Committee," said Thélermont, who is ranked 14th worldwide in the 69-kg category.

Julie Matatiken – weightlifting

TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Julie Matatiken has been chosen among the finalists for the Sportslady of the Year for the first time in a career that has spanned six years.

Chosen as runner-up to Thélermont, the three-time gold medallist of the 48-kg division of the Sixth IOIG has said that she does not stand a chance of winning the Sportslady of the Year title.

"I am looking forward for the Sports Awards of the Year crowning ceremony not to be crowned but to see who will be crowned. The fact that it is the first time that I've been chosen among the finalists, I am very happy and am ready to accept the final decision made by the Selection Committee," said Matatiken, who was sixth in her category during the Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

Chantal Hoffman – windsurfing

WINDSURFING silver medallist at the Sixth IOIG in Mauritius, Chantal Hoffman has ruled herself out of the running for a top five position on the day of the crowning ceremony.

"I was surprised to see my name among the top 10, but at the same I felt good about it. This is the best I think I can do as I don't think I stand a chance fighting against other athletes who performed much better than me for a place in the final five," said the 28-year-old who has eight years experience in the sport.

This is Hoffman's third female windsurfer of the year title after those of 1999 and 2002.

G. G.