Time for assessment and celebrations for the participants of Webcup Maurice; this Saturday, June 4, Mauritian webcupers were invited for a debriefing of their web creations by jury members and coaches, an opportunity also to be awarded their certificates of participation and to network with the partners and sponsors of this 9th edition. They had vibrated in unison at the Webcup, a 24-hour non-stop website creation hackathon, on the weekend of May 14 and 15, at the same time as other digital ecosystems in the Indian Ocean.
Hybrid organization in Mauritius with online or face-to-face participation
Indeed, for the first time this year, Webcup Maurice was organized in a hybrid format with the possibility of competing online or in person at the SD Worx company in Ebène. The originality of this organization is that participants from all islands could communicate on a common platform throughout the weekend. Furthermore, the opening on Saturday, May 14, was held live, allowing all territories in turn to present their local Webcup in terms of organization, participant profiles, or partners, until the fateful moment of the topic kickoff at 11 a.m.
This form of organization resonated with Webcup partners, as stated by Didier Béphage, Technological Director of SD Worx Mauritius: “We are delighted to support Webcup 2022 as a partner and host of the event. We had missed this type of activity since the pandemic-related restrictions. It is a real pleasure to welcome website development enthusiasts to take on this 24-hour challenge. We are convinced that the participants have grown from this great experience”.
An unprecedented and futuristic topic
As usual, the topic, kept secret, was unveiled simultaneously across the 6 islands of the Indian Ocean, giving the start signal for this 24-hour non-stop web development competition, which takes place the same weekend, at the same time, on the same theme. The topic of Webcup 2022 consisted of creating a website to promote a data backup service (photos, videos, holograms…) in secure time capsules. Messages intended to be buried underground, placed in orbit around the moon, or sent to the far reaches of the universe.
A participation record was reached this year: this edition brought together a total of 273 participants, representing one of the islands of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion, or Rodrigues. In total, 83 teams competed through lines of code and design for this local selection round, with the goal of winning the grand prize and thus representing their island during the international final in a few months.
In Mauritius, 12 teams were in competition. During these 24 hours, they were active, overcame sleep, and showed endurance to give their best. Furthermore, on two occasions, during plot twists, the teams had to redouble their efforts to meet requirements that arrived unexpectedly, adding technical and design constraints to the ordeal. Challenges met brilliantly by our competitors despite the fatigue.
“It is necessary to support this type of activity that promotes creativity and technological innovation. Mauritius is full of talent, and we must create opportunities to encourage our young people to assert and value them,” says Dev Hurkoo, Managing Director of Rogers Capital and Administrator of OTAM and FINAM.
At the end of this web marathon, one team from each island was selected by a jury of experts from each territory consisting of designers, web developers, communication agency directors, or project managers.
Team Synced, winner of Webcup Mauritius 2022
After a long deliberation by the jury panel, the winning teams were finally announced:
The Jury Grand Prize was won by team Synced, composed of Ashnal Gunnoo, Luqmaan Heetun, Hitesh Mohun, and Irfaan Mahomodally (representing the University of Technology, Mauritius). “It is a great honor for team ‘Synced’ to receive this special prize. We want to thank everyone who believed in us during this unforgettable experience! The group was formed during our participation in Webcup 2021, but unfortunately, it did not reach the podium. We built on this experience and participated in another university competition. That’s where we tasted our first victory and were motivated to take on the Webcup challenge once more in 2022 and come back stronger than ever. Additionally, we practiced every day before the competition to anticipate as many obstacles as possible. This ended up improving our team synergy. We finally worked until the last minute trying to score maximum points. After 24 hours of intense programming, we were delighted to learn that we won the first prize,” says Ashnal Gunnoo, captain of team Synced.
The 2nd Prize was won by team Crazy Chicken composed of Andry Rova Ny Tsiky Razafindrabe, Thonney Cedric, Christian Bongard, and Christian Beaux-Yeux (representing the school Le Wagon Maurice).
The 3rd Prize was won by team ALC Ninjas composed of Francis Kikulwe, Emmanuel Murairi, Bridget Chirimbani, and Pascal Gihozo (students from African Leadership College).
The Virality Prize was won for the 2nd consecutive year by the team the A Team composed of Roy Babooa, Usmaan Kurrimbaccus, Sharaf Abdoollah, Jeshwan Khoodeeram (students from the University of Technology, Mauritius).
The winners were rewarded with high-tech accessories and/or cash prizes. In total, gifts worth more than one hundred and thirty thousand rupees were won by all the winning teams.
The finalist teams for Webcup 2022 are now known! They will represent their island at the end of the year during the International final: team BLUM for Reunion, SKY EYES for Comoros, VIBERNET for Madagascar, LES YLANGS YLANGS for Mayotte, SAGE DESIGNS for Rodrigues, and SYNCED for Mauritius.
Bootcamps are organized before and after Webcup in Mauritius
Webcup Maurice pays particular attention to the preparation and progress of the participants’ projects. Two bootcamps were organized, one before the Webcup and the other after.
The preparation bootcamp before the Webcup was held on May 7 at SD Worx. It was led by former Webcup participants, coaches, or former juries and the Webcup referent in Mauritius. The objective is to provide appropriate advice on organization methods over the 24 hours and how to use tools to better prepare in compliance with the rules and conduct of the Webcup.
“Supporting such an event that promotes Indian Ocean proximity through digital is fully in line with the DNA of Outremer Telecom Digital Solutions. Our company was delighted to welcome participants to the Webcup Maurice debriefing bootcamp,” emphasizes Didier Rosine, Director of Operations at Outremer Telecom Digital Solutions and Administrator of MITIA.
The debriefing bootcamp was organized this Saturday, June 4, at Outremer Telecom Digital Solutions in Ebène. A privileged moment where participants benefited from advice from jury members and coaches. It was also an opportunity to network further and discover role models through presentations of the careers of managers and CEOs representing our partners and sponsors.
For John Benatouil, President of FINAM and CCI France Maurice, Webcup aligns with the strategic axes of FINAM. “Indeed, our common goal is to value talent in web development, shine a spotlight on our technological capabilities in view of the technical deployment required for its organization, and of course to build links at the Indian Ocean level by positioning Webcup as a vector for driving this cooperation,” he declares.
The Webcup, an initiative of Association Webcup in Reunion, is in its 9th edition in Mauritius. It is organized by FINAM (Federation of Innovative & Numeric Activities in Mauritius) with the support of companies in the digital industry. The organizers of Webcup Maurice extend their congratulations to the winners and participating teams in Mauritius and across other Indian Ocean territories.
In Mauritius, holding the Webcup is possible thanks to the support of its partners and sponsors. FINAM warmly thanks these partners, SD Worx, Rogers Capital, Outremer Telecom Digital Solutions, Prodigious Mauritius, Harel Mallac Technologies, Elytis, and the National Computer Board, and its sponsors Bocasay Maurice, Acensi, iQera, TechnoSphere Lab, Novity Maurice, Aerow ECM World, IGFX, Mostickers, Brand Avenue, SocialNetLink, 24h.info, and 10000 Codeurs who support Webcup Maurice.
