From let to right: Scheer, Thélermont, Baccus, Matatiken and Agricole

Agricole

Matatiken

FIVE local weightlifters are in Tunisia to participate in the African Weightlifting Championship.

The championship, to be held from May 1 to 7,  will serve as an Olympic Games qualifier and is the last chance for local lifters to book their places for the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece, from August 13 to 29.

Clementina Agricole, Julie Matatiken, Janet Thélermont, Sportsman of the Year Steven Baccus and Richard Scheer have to prove their mettle at the championship because it is not going to be a mean task for them as other African countries who will be participating at the qualifiers also have the ambition of picking up the highest slots.

Agricole, Matatiken, Thélermont and Baccus proceeded to the championship in Tunisia on Monday April 26, two days after having returned to the country following a three-week  intensive training programme in South Africa.

Scheer, who is based and trains in France, joined the team in Tunisia.

Seychelles Weightlifting Association chairman Robert Rose explained yet again that the local body decided to send only the five lifters to the championship as they were ranked among the top four in their respective categories at the Eighth All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, last year.

Agricole (1), Matatiken (3), Thélermont (3), Scheer (3) and Baccus (3) were all gold medallists at the Sixth Indian Ocean Islands Games in Mauritius last year.

In Abuja, Seychelles won five silver and one bronze medals through Thélermont (three silver in the -69-kg), Scheer (a silver and a bronze in the -85-kg) and Baccus (a silver in the -94-kg).

Former Sportslady of the Year Thélermont also won a silver medal at the First Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad, India, last year.

Agricole (-58-kg) and Matatiken (-48-kg) are expected on the platform on Sunday May 2, a day after the opening ceremony scheduled for Saturday.

Thélermont (-69-kg) is to compete on Wednesday May 5, while Scheer (-85-kg) and Sportsman of the Year Baccus (-94-k) are to lift the barbells on Friday May 7.

Coach William Dixie is in Tunisia with the country's best lifters who are expected to give their utmost to fly the national colours at the Athens Games.

The Seychelles delegation is expected back home on Sunday May 9.

G. G.