The recently concluded All Africa Individual Championships in Thiès, Senegal, saw an outstanding performance from Mauritius’ own Lucas Douce, who emerged as the undisputed star of the tournament by clinching four gold medals across multiple categories. Douce’s victories in the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and the Team Event cemented his place as a formidable force in African badminton.
In the Men’s Singles final, Lucas faced off against his own Men’s Doubles partner, Aidan Yu Kiat Siow Yin Young. The match unveiled intense rivalry and camaraderie, with Lucas ultimately securing the title by defeating Aidan 21-15, 21-8. Despite this win, Lucas’s journey in the tournament was far from over.
The dynamic duo of Lucas Douce and Aidan Yu Kiat Siow Yin Young, seeded number 1 in the Men’s Doubles, met an Algerian pair in the finals. The match was a evidence to their dexterity and teamwork, as they comfortably won 21-12, 21-17, adding another gold to their collection.
Lucas’s golden streak continued in the Mixed Doubles, where he partnered with Elsa How Hong. The pair faced Mahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud and Fatema Rabie in a closely contested final. The Mauritian team won with a score of 21-18, 21-16, securing Lucas’s third gold medal in the individual events.
Following his conquering performances, an elated Lucas Douce spoke to BCA TV, expressing his gratitude: “I am on cloud nine right now. I cannot believe that I have achieved a clean sheet as they say in Football. I would like to thank everyone who supported me, my families, friends, my sponsors, coaches, MBA, and all my friends in my team. Without their support, it would have been impossible. Now that I have won four gold medals, I just want to get home and celebrate it with my parents, families, and friends. I would also like to thank Senegal for welcoming us; it was a pleasure to play here.”
On the women’s side, the competition was equally fierce. Egypt’s Reem Hussien clinched the Women’s Singles title after a thrilling three-set battle against her compatriot and second seed Elgendy Hadia. Reem’s victory, with a score of 15-21, 21-9, 21-15, was a testament to her resilience. Reflecting on her win, Reem told BCA TV, “I am very happy to be on the winning side today and to be crowned African Champion. Undoubtedly, this is a very important moment of my life, and I have been fixing this objective since last year. I am glad to have achieved my goal, and I hope that I can continue with the same momentum in the senior category.”
In the Women’s Doubles, the How Hong sisters from Mauritius were crowned African Champions after a decisive victory over Egypt’s Elgendy Hadia and Reem Hussien. The sisters dominated the match, winning 21-14, 21-16, showing their synergy on the court.
The All Africa U19 Championships provided thrilling badminton action across all platforms, including YouTube, WhatsApp, and Facebook. The Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) extends its gratitude to all the fans who followed the tournament and encourages everyone to stay tuned for more updates and information on upcoming events.
Thank you for your continued support.
Badminton Confederation Africa
