Four more bronze medals for local karatekas |04 September 2023
Gretel Valentin, Stephanie De Létourdie, Shujatha Chettiar and Verna Lesperance won the women’s team kumite bronze medal (Photo: Patrick Joubert)
The Seychelles karate team won four bronze medals on Saturday – the final and closing day of the karate competition held at the Gymnase Couvert, Mahasina, to bring the tally to 13 bronze medals won by karatekas at the 11th Indian Ocean Islands Games held in Madagascar.
The four bronze medals won on Saturday came courtesy of Gretel Valentin, Stephanie De Létourdie, Shujatha Chettiar and Verna Lesperance in the women’s team kumite after losing 0-2 to Madagascar in the semifinal.
The latter won the gold medal thanks to a 2-0 win over Reunion who had won earlier, also by a 2-0 score, over Mauritius in their semifinal bout.
Other than being presented with the bronze medal in the women’s team kumite, Valentin, De Létourdie and Chettiar were also presented with the bronze medal in the women’s team kata competition.
The trio performed the kata in the elimination round on the first day of the competition on August 30 where they lost against Reunion 21.3 points to 22.5 points.
Valentin was also in action in the women’s individual kata on that same day, garnering 21.9 points compared to 22.2 points for her Reunion opponent Zitambi Ludivine to lose the individual kata display and settle for the bronze medal. She was also presented with her bronze medal for that event on Saturday. The gold medal was won by Linda Gaelle from Madagascar and Ludivine took the silver.
Bernard Thérésine, who, along with Brandon Rakotomala from Madagascar, came out in third position in the men’s individual kata, was also presented with his bronze medal on Saturday. He performed the kata on August 30 and lost to Rock Barrone from Reunion who went on to win the gold medal. The silver medal was won by Hans Ramdarrysing from Mauritius.
The other bronze medals won during the competition was by Valentin, Chettiar and De Létourdie in the women’s kata, De Létourdie in the +68kg women’s kumite, Thérésine in the -67kg men’s kumite, David Boniface in the men’s -84 kg kumite and Selwyn Payet in the +84 kg men’s kumite.
Speaking to Sports NATION, 27-year-old De Létourdie said winning three bronze medals in her first Indian Ocean Islands Games has inspired her to remain in the sport and compete to win gold medals in the next Games.
“I am still in shock. I was not expecting to win three medals. Though I would have liked them to be in gold, I am very happy with the bronze medals. They told us to bring the medals home so I tried my best and I am bringing three bronze medals home,” said De Létourdie who dedicated her medals to her family, her country and all those that have encouraged and supported her.
Patrick Joubert
