WITH most of the 18-member Seychelles contingent at the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, having been eliminated from their respective disciplines, the counry's hope of winning at least a medal rests on the weightlifters.

Two of the three Seychellois weightlifters will enter the Commonwealth Games weightlifting arena – Manchester International Convention Centre – for the first time today, chasing the gold medals.

Twenty-three-year-old policewoman Janet Thélermont, triple gold medallist in the -69-kg category of the African Weightifting Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, last May, will be lifting the barbells on Friday August 2  in the same division.

The other local weightlifter expected in action on Friday August 2 is Steven Baccus. Winner of three silver medals in the African Weightlifting Championship, strongman Baccus, 23, will be competing in the -94-kg division.

A total of 13 lifters have entered for this category.

Even though they are sure to expect stiff competition from the strong field of lifters in the two divisions, the odds are on both Thélermont and Baccus to give it their best shot to win Seychelles its first medal in the XVII Commonwealth Games and possibly one of gold hue.

If they happen to lift gold, it will be the first for the country in four participations at these Games known as the 'Friendly Games'.

The best result achieved by Seychelles so far is two silver medals in boxing. It was former boxers Roland Raforme (heavyweight) and Jerry Legras (light welterweight) who clinched those two silver medals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1998.

As for another former boxer, Rival Cadeau (now Payet), he missed out on a possible silver or gold medal in the light middleweight division in 1994 in Victoria, Canada, by failing to be on time for his semifinal bout with Irish Jim Webb.

Meanwhile, the other Seychellois in action on Thursday August 1, experienced mixed fortunes.

In badminton at the Bolton Arena, after both male players – Georgie Cupidon and Nicholas Jumaye – lost in the round of 128 of the men's singles competition, the two female players – Juliette Ah-Wan and Catherina Paulin – followed them through the exit door.

Paulin, who won a bye into the round of 32 of the women's singles competition, lost 0-3 (0-7 1-7 3-7) to English player T. Hallam.

As for Seychelles' female number one player Ah-Wan, winner of the women's singles gold medal of the recent African Championship which took place in Casablanca, Morocco, she could not come close to that form in Manchester.

The 21-year-old whitewashed M. Eastmond of Barbados 3-0 (7-0 7-1 7-3) in the round of 64 before losing 0-3 (4-7 0-7 3-7) to Indian T. Murgunde in the next round.

In the men's doubles, the pair of Cupidon and Jumaye was given a scare by Maldivians M. Nashid and A. Nashwatt before triumphing 3-0 (8-6 7-0 8-6). The pair will next play Canadians S. Wojcikiewicz and P. Bourrat in the round of 32.

Both mixed doubles duos lost their first matches. Paulin and Jumaye fell 0-3 (0-7 1-7 3-7) to K. Wood and M. Eastmond of England, while Cupidon and Ah-Wan were beaten 0-3 (0-7 1-7 6-8) by Malaysians C. M. Chan and P. S. Lim.

In judo at the G-Mex Centre, 24-year-old Gerard Baker, who lost his -81-kg division bout to T. Cousins of England in the first round, failed to make an attempt for the bronze medal by losing to Faka'Osi in the repechage round on Wednesday July 24.