THE 2002 sporting season is over, but the tension among male and female athletes who performed well during the year is reaching its peak as the crowning ceremony nears.

On Friday December 27,  afternoon, the Selection Committee, which met for the second time in the Oceangate House boardroom, named the 10 male and female finalists who will be  challenging for places in the top five.

Eight of the 10-member committee chose through secret ballot, the names of the 10 sportsmen and women who will be in the running for the coveted Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards.

The 10 female finalists are Lindy Leveaux (athletics), Juliette Ah-Wan, Catherina Paulin (badminton), Simone Bamboche (basketball), Shrone Austin (swimming), Fatim Kanté (tennis), Annie Dugasse, Jerina Bonne (volleyball), Janet Thélermont and Maria Laure (table tennis).

Selwyn Beauchamp (athletics), Tony Lespoir (canoeing), Hudson Mathieu (cycling), Francis Labrosse (judo), Steven Baccus (weightlifting), Allan Julie (sailing), Georgie Cupidon (badminton), Allen Larue (football), Bernard Bijoux (volleyball) and Elvis Ravinia (karate), are the 10 male finalists.

It is to be noted that the names of the athletes are not in order of preference.

The fact that reigning Sportslady of the Year Helda Marie has not been nominated as the best or even as runner-up by the Seychelles Amateur Athletics Federation, meaning that she can't find a place among the finalists, a new Sportswoman of the Year will be crowned during the crowning ceremony scheduled for January 24, 2003 at the SMB Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman.

On the men's side, Laser sailor Allan Julie, who has won the Sportsman of the Year title for the past two seasons and again features among this year's 10 finalists, is in with a good chance of making it a hat-trick of wins, something only boxers Rival Payet (formerly Cadeau) and Jerry Legras have achieved before.

It is also worth noting that former light middleweight boxer Payet is the all-time record holder with four titles.

It is also to note that Annie Dugasse, Sportswoman for the Year 2000 Juliette Ah-Wan, Simone Bamboche, Catherina Paulin, Fatim Kanté, Lindy Leveaux, Janet Thélermont, two-time Sportsman of the Year Allen Julie, Hudson Mathieu, Selwyn Beauchamp and Georgie Cupidon were among last year's finalists.

In the young athletes category, because outgoing Young Male Athlete of the Year Marvis Confait and reigning Young Female Athlete of the Year Helda Marie, who in 2001 celebrated a year of thrilling athletics excitement for Seychelles on both the local and international scenes, have not been nominated by their federation, they will know their successors soon.

Instead of just one male and female winners like over the past years, the Selection Committee and the Organising Committee have decided to reward the top three in each category.

The reason for doing so, according to a spokesperson of the Selection Committee, is because more and more young athletes are doing extremely well in local and international competitions be it at junior or senior level.

The Selection Committee has thus decided to shortlist the names of seven male and female finalists from which the Young Male and Female Athletes of the Year will be chosen.

The seven junior female finalists are Rancy Larue (athletics), Catherina Paulin (badminton), Shrone Austin (swimming), Fatim Kanté (tennis), Clementina Agricole (weightlifting), Sophia Jumaye (volleyball) and Janice Esparon (table tennis).

Steven Mangroo (swimming), Terrence Dixie (weightlifting), Jules Monnaie (football), Godfrey Sultan (table tennis), Joel Lesperance (athletics), Leroy Elizabeth (volleyball) and Allen Azemia (badminton) are the seven male finalists for the junior title.

Like in the senior category, the names of the junior athletes are not in order of preference.

Another change this year is that instead of the names of the Young Male and Female Athletes of the Year being revealed weeks before the crowning ceremony, the two best young athletes will only know their identity on January 24, 2003.

The two top young male and female athletes will each receive as prizes R1,500 and a cup during the crowning ceremony at the SMB Exhibition Hall, Roche Caïman.