The Mauritius ladies national team of badminton, has been entrusted to Vanina Cadressen for the eighth games of the Indian Ocean islands (IOIG). The choice of Vanina Cadressen-Yagumbrun by the Ministry of Sports of Mauritius as Sports Officer to lead the badminton women national team is not accidental.
Indeed, twenty-one years ago, Yagumbrun representing Mauritius at the 3rd Indian Ocean Islands Games in Madagascar, won the gold medal in women's doubles in the team competition and bronze in women's doubles still in the individual competition in badminton. Three years later, in 1993, during the 4th Games of the Indian Ocean islands in Seychelles, she did it again in women's doubles in the team competition and silver medalist in the individual competition.
Over thirty five years of age, she had been a high-level sportswoman from 1990 to 1998. She has competed at the regional, African and university level in India, where she started in 1994 studies leading to the Bachelor of Physical Education at the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education. There she will obtain a master's degree in physical education in 1999 with a specialization in badminton and sports management.
Vanina Cadressen-Yagumbrun was initiated in badminton at the age of 6 years by her father, Madhavan Yagumbrun, who is also her first coach. "My years spent on a badminton court since the age of 6 years and my interest for sport in general motivated me to pursue a career of Sports Officer at the Ministry of Youth and Sports” she says. But before this dream became reality, she had to succeed in her higher education. Face a difficult challenge for five consecutive years. "Before being Sports Officer, he had to study in India at the University of Lakshmibai, in the National Institute of Physical Education. First, it was very hard to enroll at this university, and once there, it is like you are in a military school, with intense training in both sport and in education, “she says. When she joined the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2000, she only had male colleagues. "It's not easy being a woman and Sports Officer at the same time. But when you have the will, all barriers disappear, " she said.