Africa-Press – Mauritius. Several Mauritian para-athletes, badminton players and cyclists who have made the country proud in recent months were honoured, yesterday afternoon, during a cash prize ceremony held at the seat of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Port Louis. The event recognised their hard work, talent and remarkable achievements on both the continental and international stage.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Darmarajen Nagalingum, and the Junior Minister, Mrs Eileen Karen Lee Chin Foo Kune-Bacha, who praised the athletes for their exceptional performances.
Para-athlete Noémie Alphonse, who won the 100m T54 race at the World Para Athletics Championships in India, received the highest reward of the day with a cheque of Rs 1.5 million. At the same championship, Anaïs Angeline, who secured a silver medal in the T37 long jump, was presented with a cash prize Rs 1 million.
In cycling, Kimberley Le Court de Billot-Pienaar was awarded Rs 100,000 for her victory at the Giro Dell’Emilia in Italy on 10 October, while Alexandre Mayer, winner of the Grand Prix Chantal Biya in Cameroon, received the same amount.
Several badminton athletes were also rewarded for their consistent performances. These include Mathieu Leo Douce, who received Rs 39,000; Rishab Koolomuth and Chavi Ramlagan, who each received Rs 16,000; and Divyana Sawaram, Ember Leefye, Yashveer Rambaran, Shreyans Ramkalawon, Mokshita Sookuram, and T. Ragavaloo, who were each awarded Rs 8,000. Badminton coach Zuel Alexis received Rs 6,000.
Coaches who played a key role in supporting and guiding the athletes were likewise acknowledged. In para-athletics, Mr Jean-Marie Bhugeerathee, coach of Noémie Alphonse, received Rs 540,000, while Mr Nicolas Angeline, coach of Anaïs Angeline, was awarded Rs 360,000. In cycling, Mr Jeroen Swart, coach of Kimberley Le Court de Billot-Pienaar, was presented with Rs 40,000.
