The President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure, received young Seychellois tennis star Damien Laporte at State House this morning.

President Faure commended Damien as an exemplary young man with amazing talent and an athlete with a bright future ahead. The President congratulated Damien who at only 17 years of age has been flying the Seychelles flag high through his excellent performance both on the local and international scene. Following his recent participation at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament of South America, held in El Savador, Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica from 6 November to 8 December 2019, Damien clinched 4 gold and 2 silver medals as well as improve his overall international ranking. He is now ranked 428 worldwide as of 23 December 2019, moving up from a ranking of 1,250 on 17 December 2018, a result of his excellent performance in 2019.

“Seychelles is so proud of your achievements. As a young, talented Seychellois tennis player you have a bright future ahead. My message to you to stay true to and remain focused on your dream. Maintain the discipline and keep striving step by step for what you believe in and what you want to achieve. Government remains committed in ensuring such talents as yours are nurtured and given the opportunity to flourish. With the support of the country and your family we look forward to seeing you attain even greater results. Thank you for being an inspiration to other young people,” said President Faure.

During the meeting, Damien shared with the President his daily training and academic routine at the Sanchez Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona, Spain where he has been enrolled since 2016. Damien also briefed the President on his plans for the future in line with becoming a professional tennis player whilst also pursuing his studies.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Damien expressed how honoured he was for having been received by the President today. He said he is looking forward to returning back to Spain early in January 2020 to resume intensive training in order to attempt to participate in as many ITF tournaments as possible in the first quarter of the year so as to improve his chances of qualifying for the Junior Grand Slam for the French Open, Wimbledon, or US Open in 2020.

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