Participants of the Open Africa-Middle East Championships of Foil Kitesurfing 2022 were rewarded for their outstanding performance during a Prize Giving ceremony held on 31 August 2022, at the Preskil Island Resort in Mahébourg.
The Vice President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissezon, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Jean Christophe Stephan Toussaint, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
The competition was hosted for the first time in Mauritius from 27 to 31 August 2022 and comprised a total of 18 participants from some 11 countries including Mauritius, China, France, Italy and Monaco, among others, who competed in the different events organised for the Championships.
In his address, the Vice President congratulated the elite surfers for their participation in the competition and added that they have been cruising effortlessly above the waves of Pointe D’Esny for the last four days. “Whether you have won a medal or not, you are all winners as the happiness originating from the participation is a highly cherished trophy,” he pointed out.
Furthermore, Mr Boissezon stressed that it has been a pleasure to welcome participants from different countries since sports, being part of the universal culture, also contributes to world peace. “Sports and physical activities have significant potential to drive social and economic returns for a country,” the Vice President stated.
On this score, he indicated that the Government aims at positioning the country as a regional sports hub by developing Mauritius into a vibrant and growing sport economy that would have spillover effects on the services sector including the tourism industry.
Government, Mr Boissezon emphasised, has implemented a national physical activity policy and is investing in the setting up of sports infrastructure around the island to ensure that the population remains healthy. “Mauritius is being promoted as an international centre for the hosting of international multi-disciplinary sports events as the country is now equipped with the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, fully integrated with state-of-the-art facilities,” he said.
For his part, the Sports Minister expressed satisfaction that the hosting of the Championships was a successful event and hoped that greater similar competitions are organised in Mauritius in the future, in the lagoons of the island.
On this note, Mr Toussaint acknowledged the efforts of concerned stakeholders, including the Officers of his Ministry who have worked hard to make this competition a success and extended his congratulations to all the participants.
The winners for the Championships are as follows:
Best African Woman:
- Julie Patureau from Mauritius
Best African Man:
- Jean De Falbaire from Mauritius
Open-Women:
- Winner-Jessie Kampman from France
- Second position-Maggie Pescetto from Italy
- Third position-Sofia Tomassoni from Italy
Open-Men:
- Winner-Alexander Ehlen from Monaco
- Second position-Qbin Huang from China
- Third position-Jean De Falbaire from Mauritius
