Keddy Agnes, Dasheil Fanchette win boxing gold for Seychelles |30 August 2023
Keddy Agnes turns away after flooring his opponent in the +92kg final (Photo: Patrick Joubert)
Boxers Keddy Agnes and Dasheil Fanchette have won a gold medal each for Seychelles at the 11th Indian Ocean Islands Games taking place in Madagascar, after their impressive wins in the finals.
At the closing of the boxing competition yesterday afternoon at the CCI Ivato Amphitheatre, Agnes needed only two minutes in the first round of the +92kg category to punch his way to the highest step on the podium by flooring Didier Jean-Baptiste from Reunion forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Before he was floored, Jean-Baptiste had already taken too many heavy blows on all parts of his body pushing the referee to make two eight-second counts.
“When I come into the ring, my aim is to finish my job as early as possible. Relying on points is not part of my game plan, and in this competition it would have not been easy for me. The fight was not as easy as people would like to think but it’s the way that I approached it that made it seem so easy. But that is how I like my job done,” Agnes to Sports NATION.
“At the previous Games, I missed out on the gold medal in Mauritius because I was sick and to claim that medal which would have been four in a row is like a revenge for me. It’s a great achievement and I would like to dedicate it to my family, my coaches, to the country and to everybody else who has supported and encouraged me in the sport. My next move is to qualify for the Olympics,” added Agnes.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Fanchette told Seychelles NATION: “I am still in shock. I can’t believe I have won a gold medal in my first appearance in the Games. I started the sport three years ago and the gold medal symbolises that I have made a great achievement. I want to dedicate this medal to everyone who has supported me, especially to my mum and dad. I know they must have been watching and they are feeling very proud. I love the sport; I intend to continue pursuing it and see what the future holds.”
To reach the final, Agnes beat Herizo Randriatsimarofy through referee stopped contest (RSC) in the first round of the semifinal bout while Fanchette’s 80kg fight against Seraphin Maisa, also from Madagascar, was stopped by the referee in the third round. Fanchette and Agnes received their gold medal from First Lady Linda Ramkalawan and the Minister for Youth, Sports and Family, Marie-Celine Zialor, respectively.
There were five local pugilists in the 13 finals yesterday and first to lose was Archild David who lost to Fabrice Valeri from Reunion for the silver medal after three rounds of fighting in the 51kg category. Competing in the 67kg, Shane Boniface lost the gold medal to Jean Vadamootoo from Mauritius while Edrian Volcère had to settle for silver after losing to Merven Clair also from Mauritius in the 71kg category. Both fights went all three rounds.
Apart from the two gold and three silver medals, there were five bronze medals won by Tino Gabriel in the 48kg, Jovanie Bouzin in the 63.5kg, Joshua Cousin in the 78kg, Fabio Roselie in the 67kg, and Dian Vidot in the 92kg categories.
Mauritius claimed nine gold medals out of 13 in the boxing competition followed by Seychelles with two, and Reunion and Madagascar with one medal each.
Both coaches Rival Payet and Gerry Legras said they were satisfied with the two gold medals won and the performance of the team in general.
“We were expecting three gold medals but it did not happen and we have to live with it. I am very happy with the two gold medals won given the short time we had to prepare the team for this competition. If we had gotten more time to prepare, including some international competitions, we would have done better. In general, I am so happy,” said coach Legras.
“For me if the team had had the opportunity to prepare better, we would have claimed five gold medals. We have a young team and I hope that it is well taken care of for the next Indian Ocean Islands Games. Somebody like Fanchette has great potential and we have to make sure that he does not quit and he gets to develop that potential further. He has a lot to offer. I took him in at a very young age and groomed him to the level he is at right now and I am very happy with his achievement today,” said coach Payet.
Patrick Joubert