Seychelles’ young badminton squad delivered a solid performance at the CJSOI Games, finishing with four bronze medals, including three won on the final day of individual competition.
Standout performer Aurélie Jean-Louis capped an impressive run with a bronze in the girls’ singles, after breezing past her quarterfinal opponent (21-12, 21-11). Jean-Louis came up against Chiara How Hong of Mauritius in the semifinal, where she struggled to find her rhythm and lost in straight sets (21-8, 21-4).
She later returned to the court alongside partner Liana Bédier in the girls’ doubles, and the pair battled hard in the semifinals against the tournament’s top-seeded duo, Chiara and Elsa How Hong, also of Mauritius. Despite flashes of brilliance, the Seychellois pair fell 21-9, 21-9, and had to settle for bronze — their second medal of the tournament after helping the team to bronze on the opening day.
In the boys’ doubles, Yohan Didon and Joshua Raguin stormed through their quarterfinal match with a commanding 21-8, 21-5 win. However, in the semifinals, they came up short against the strong Mauritian duo of Bhageerothee Pranav and Abidullah Tagan. The Seychellois boys gave their best but couldn’t match the consistency of their opponents, falling 21-9, 21-11, to earn another well-deserved bronze.
Coach Juliette Waye-Hive praised her team’s overall effort, especially considering their youth and limited exposure to international tournaments. “We were so close to reaching the finals. A few nerves cost us in key moments, but I’m proud of how far they’ve come,” she said.
Seychelles finishes the badminton competition with:
