Badminton: Seychelles wins 3 silver and 3 bronze medals at All Africa School Championship
The four members of the Seychelles' team with their medals. (NSC Seychelles)
(Seychelles News Agency) - The future is looking bright for badminton in Seychelles as several young players won three silver and three bronze medals at the All Africa School championship in Senegal recently.
Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, was represented at the competition by Yohan Didon, Joshua Raguin, Liana Bedier and Aurelie Jean-Louis.
Didon won three silver medals in three events. In the boys singles event, he lost in the final to Benin's Lewis Kpanou with the first set score of 21-16, before going down 21-13 in the second set to lose the match by two sets to nil.
He won another silver medal in the boys' doubles event, where he teamed up with Raguin. The final was another battle against players from Benin where they lost 2 sets to nil.
Didon's third silver medal came in the mix double in which he teamed up with Aurelie Jean-Louis facing a team from Benin again.
Seychelles lost the first set 21-7, before also going down 21-6 in the second set to lose 2-0 and settle for a silver medal.
The three bronze medals were won by Liana Bedier in the girls single event. Bedier with Jean-Louis claimed bronze in the girls' doubles and finally Bedier and Raguin won bronze in the mixed doubles.
Seychelles used to be recognised in badminton at the African level with players winning medals in international competitions. These were from players like Juliette Waye-Hive formerly Ah-Wan, Alissen Camille, Georgie Cupidon and Steve Malcouzane, claiming titles all over the continent and even being crowned African Champions.
The hope is that the younger generation can bring back the days of glory.