Badminton
Children enjoy, players balance coaching and competition at East African Badminton Challenge
For many children, the East African Badminton Challenge 2026 is a tournament and a chance to leave the classroom, travel to another school, make new friends and test their skills against unfamiliar opponents.
The excitement of boarding a bus with teammates to the Lugogo Indoor Arena, wearing school colours and exploring a new environment makes the competition memorable. Winning a match or a point adds to the thrill, but the experience goes beyond results.
Uganda hosts the Uganda International, Uganda Junior International and Kampala International Future Series, but local tournaments remain limited. The East African Badminton Challenge gives young local players a chance to compete, socialise and develop their love for the game in huge numbers.
Badminton’s fast pace also appeals to children. With lightweight rackets and a shuttlecock flying across the court, the game keeps them moving, running and jumping while having fun.
For some, the tournament is an opportunity to make friends with children from other schools. For others, it is a chance to prove themselves and experience the excitement of competing away from their usual surroundings with some of their stars like Tracy Naluwooza, Sharifah Mbabazi, Muzafaru Lubega, Reagan Nsubuga and many others in different categories but in the same environment.
Behind the action, however, are coaches working to keep the children focused while balancing their own involvement in the sport.
Many senior badminton players who have attended coaching courses have taken up school coaching, helping introduce the game to a younger generation. To be recognised by the federation as a school badminton coach, one must hold a Level One qualification.
Namakoye’s coaching challenges
Mable Namakoye is among those combining coaching with playing experience. A former women’s doubles medallist at the Kampala International Future Series and Uganda International Badminton Series, she now coaches at Olive School Namugongo.
She says working with children during tournaments requires patience, as they constantly seek their coach’s attention.
“Every after 30 seconds, you will hear a shout calling coach,” Namakoye says.
The children are also curious about other players’ performances and often want to know why they cannot play at the same level.
One of her biggest challenges comes when a player is awarded a walkover.
“A child never listens when they are awarded a walkover. They always want to be on court and play since it’s always a roller coaster of games and they are given very little time to play,” she says.
Despite the demands, Namakoye enjoys the children’s willingness to listen as they prepare to enter the court and their eagerness to interact with players from other schools.
Their enthusiasm makes the experience worthwhile, even when keeping everyone organised becomes difficult.
Shelton Tayebwa shares a similar experience. Still an active player, he also coaches badminton at Shree Sahajanand School Uganda.
Their involvement reflects how players can give back to the sport while continuing to pursue their own ambitions.
The children do not necessarily compete in the school categories according to their under-age classifications.
The East African Badminton Challenge features 13 different categories: boys’ and girls’ Under-10, Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19; boys’ and girls’ doubles; Professionals; Corporates; Chinese; Coaches; Indians; Veterans; and Universities.
The tournament brings together participants from different backgrounds, allowing young players to compete and interact with a wider badminton community.
Other former players who have taken up coaching include Allan Nkire, Derrick Odoch, Gerald Katushabe and Adam.
Kabindi backs former players
Uganda national team coach William Kabindi believes former players taking up coaching is good for the sport’s future.
Through his work at Mbogo High School, Kabindi has continued to contribute to developing young players. He says seeing those he has coached pass on their knowledge to children is particularly rewarding.
“For we who love the game, it makes us happy to see players we have coached and nurtured do enough to take the game to the children,” he says.
“This shows that the game has a bright future and a good foundation.”
Kabindi believes players who have competed in badminton bring valuable practical experience to coaching.
“For a person who has played the game and coaches it, it’s different from one who has learnt it theoretically and come into coaching. Therefore, I uphold Mable and Shelton and urge them to continue going,” he says.
However, combining the two roles can affect a player’s performance, particularly when training young children takes up much of their time.
“If you’re a very active player, it’s very hard. If one is training kids, it’s a very good service, but it takes a bit from you,” Kabindi says.
He describes badminton as a muscle-memory game in which repetition helps children develop their skills. While the youngsters benefit from regular practice, coaches who are also active players risk losing some sharpness in their own movement if they neglect personal training.
“Badminton is a muscle-memory game. In that way, the kids gain twice, but it deteriorates the players in movement,” he says.
Coaching offers another opportunity
Despite the challenges, Kabindi says coaching can provide players with an additional source of income to meet the costs of playing badminton.
Some players struggle to afford essentials such as shoes, rackets and food. Coaching gives them an opportunity to earn money while contributing to the sport’s development.
Kabindi also believes the income can help steer young people away from harmful habits, including theft.
For active players, however, coaching must be balanced with personal training.
He says they often have to complete sessions with the children before heading to Mbogo High School or Sharing Youth Centre for their own training.
It means longer days, but the routine allows them to remain active in competition while helping others improve.
The benefits can extend beyond the court. Some schools scout promising players during these tournaments, giving talented children opportunities that could change their lives.
The East African Badminton Challenge offers competition, friendship, winning a trophy or bicycle and a break from the classroom to the youngsters. For Namakoye and Tayebwa, it is a chance to share their knowledge while remaining involved in the game.
The 2026 East Africa Badminton Challenge is currently underway, running from Wednesday, October 14 to Sunday, October 18, 2026. The annual prestigious tournament is being held at the Lugogo Indoor Arena in Kampala, Uganda.
The post Children enjoy, players balance coaching and competition at East African Badminton Challenge appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
Uganda’s Ramiah Bukenya heads into her third day of badminton action at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games with everything to play for as she prepares to face Ukraine’s Varvara Poperezhai in the final Group C encounter on Tuesday, November 3.
The stakes are clear for both players. Having each suffered two defeats in their opening group matches, Ramiah and Poperezhai will be looking to turn their fortunes around, with victory offering either player a chance to progress to the next stage of the competition.
Bukenya’s opening encounters have proved challenging, with the Ugandan teenager struggling to find her rhythm against stronger opposition. Her latest outing against Britain’s Rajvi Parab on Monday, November 2, ended in a 2-0 defeat at the Dakar Arena.
It was a difficult afternoon for the Ugandan, who managed just eight points across the two games. Parab dominated the contest, winning the opening game 21-2 before completing the victory with a 21-6 result in the second game.
The match lasted just 19 minutes, with the Briton controlling the exchanges and leaving Bukenya with little room to build momentum. The longest rally lasted 20 seconds, while the average rally lasted eight seconds, reflecting how quickly the points were decided.
Ramiah had also suffered a 2-0 defeat against American Micah Cruz in her other group encounter, leaving her with no victories heading into the final group match.
However, her next opponent finds herself in a remarkably similar position. Ukraine’s Poperezhai has also lost both her opening matches, falling 2-0 to Britain’s Parab and suffering an identical result against American Cruz. This sets up an intriguing meeting between two players who will be desperate to finish their group campaign on a positive note.
For Bukenya, Tuesday’s contest presents an important opportunity to respond after two difficult outings. While her previous results have exposed the challenge of competing at this level, the encounter against Poperezhai offers a different kind of test, with both players carrying the pressure of needing a win.
The Ugandan will need to improve her point construction, show greater composure in the rallies and find ways to stay competitive for longer periods. Having managed only eight points against Parab, a stronger showing in her final group game will be important, regardless of the eventual result.
There is also the psychological challenge of putting the previous defeats behind her. At this level, the ability to recover from setbacks and approach the next match with confidence can make a significant difference. It is no longer just about finishing the group campaign; it is about keeping her progression hopes alive.
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Uganda’s young shuttlers endured a challenging opening day at the All-Africa Junior (U-19) Badminton Championships 2026 at Cairo Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday, October 1, with several players exiting the singles and doubles competitions despite some encouraging performances.
The Ugandan contingent featured in the Under-19 men’s and women’s singles, as well as the doubles events, with Aaron Ndawula, Ramiah Bukenya and Alana Faith Sullo among the players who recorded victories during the opening rounds.
In the men’s singles, Ndawula opened his campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana’s Samuel Kote Amasah. After losing the opening game 13-15, Ndawula recovered to take the second 15-13 before completing the comeback with a 15-8 win in the deciding game.
However, his run ended in the round of 16, where he lost to Jonathan Shane in straight games, 5-15, 16-18, despite pushing his opponent in the second game.
Bukenya was another Ugandan to register a victory in the women’s singles, defeating South Africa’s Melay Pretorius 15-12, 15-8 in the round of 32. Her progress, however, was halted in the round of 16 after a 10-15, 15-17 defeat to Elsa How.
Other Ugandan players had difficult starts. Benjamin Ssekanjako lost 1-2 to Algeria’s Mohamed Rayane, while Samuel Bisaso fell 0-2 to India’s Pranav Bhauge. Carton Isakye also exited in the opening round following a 9-15, 3-15 defeat to Egypt’s Karim Wael.
In the women’s singles, Uganda’s Ramiah Bukenya, Alana Faith Sullo and Claire Namirembe featured in the opening rounds, with varying results.
Sullo advanced from her opening match against Fadwa Hachem before losing to Egypt’s Fatema Rabie in the round of 16, 6-15, 4-15. Namirembe, meanwhile, suffered a 2-15, 8-15 defeat to Tiya Bhurtun, while Abigail Ndagire lost to Egypt’s Malika Mohamed, 8-15, 4-15.
Uganda also faced challenges in the doubles competitions, with its representatives unable to progress beyond the opening rounds.
In the men’s doubles, Bisaso and Isakye lost 12-15, 11-15 to Pranav Bhauge and Nyanesh Anand, while Ndawula and Ssekanjako fell 11-15, 13-15 to Egypt’s Osama Sobhy and Karim Wael.
The women’s doubles pairing of Bukenya and Thara Naguja also bowed out after a 7-15, 7-15 defeat to Egypt’s Farida Fikry and Lojaine Wasfy. Namirembe and Ndagire likewise lost to Egypt’s Nour Fikry Elt and Rahima Hussein, 10-15, 6-15.
Despite the early exits in several categories, Ndawula and Bukenya’s opening-round victories provided Uganda with some positive moments on a difficult first day.
The championships continue at Cairo Stadium, with the remaining rounds providing the young players with further opportunities to compete against their continental counterparts.
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The Lugogo Indoor Arena buzzed with high-intensity rallies and soaring shuttles on Thursday morning as the Uganda International Series 2026 officially served off.
While top-seeded contenders watched from the wings, the opening hours belonged to the tournament’s fierce qualifiers, players operating outside the elite top 25 rankings who had to sweat for every point to secure a coveted spot in the main draw.
Among those lighting up the opening day was 19-year-old Ugandan rising star Bruno Agaba. Exhibiting grit, tactical discipline, and mental fortitude, Agaba carved his path through three gruelling qualifying matches to officially book his ticket into the men’s singles Round of 32.
Having developed his craft through Uganda’s national team ranks and his foundational years at Kinaawa High School in Kawempe, Agaba understands that his long-term dream of reaching the senior Olympic stage is a marathon, not a sprint.
At 19, he has graduated past Youth Olympic eligibility, while the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics remain just beyond his immediate horizon. For now, home tournaments like the Uganda International Series serve as critical stepping stones to rack up ranking points and test himself against seasoned international opposition.
His journey on Thursday tested every ounce of that ambition;
● Round 1 (Comfortable start): Agaba cruised past Blair Mugumya in straight sets, locking down a convincing 2-0 (21-9, 21-12) victory against an opponent who failed to truly test his defensive limits.
● Round 2 (The fatigue test): The second encounter proved drastically more demanding. Facing Tendo Kizito Mukalazi, Agaba took the opening game 21-17, only to see Mukalazi fire back with a 21-16 triumph in the second. With heavy legs setting in, Agaba dug deep, holding his nerve in a tense decider to take it 21-18.
● Round 3 (The margin of error): Agaba capped off his qualification marathon against Rayan Mutesasira, prevailing 2-0. However, the second game offered a vivid reminder of badminton’s unforgiving rules, where a standard 21-point target requires a strict two-clear-point advantage to close out. After a nervy exchange, Agaba finally sealed the match at 23-21.
For Bruno Agaba, the court awaits at 10 am sharp against Shenson Chia.
Reflecting on his gruelling day on court, a candid Agaba noted, “I’ve been playing games in the qualifying stages, and so far I’ve played three. The first game was somehow easy because my opponent wasn’t so serious. But the problem came in the second game; I was a bit tired. But I managed to win, and I got the win. The third game, it was fair, because I got the win in two sets, in the third set. And what I’m looking after, the main job, is to reach the quarter-finals. See if I can challenge those guys, because I’m just 119. And my main thing that I’m hoping for in my career is to play badminton and reach the Olympics.”
Main Draw Action Heats Up: Nsubuga, Dattani, and Global contenders step in
With qualification concluded, the stage is now set for the main draw running from October 1 to October 4, 2026, featuring packed brackets across men’s singles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
Men’s Singles
Agaba’s reward for his qualifying heroics is a blockbuster Round of 32 clash against Malaysia’s Shenson Chia at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 2. The winner will advance to face either India’s Sai Rishwanth Lade or fifth seed M. Choudhary.
Meanwhile, fellow Ugandan Reagan Michael Nsubuga enters the main draw automatically via his ranking points.
Fresh off valuable lessons learned at the Kampala International Future Series, Nsubuga remarked, “With the previous tournament you have played, I’ve managed to gather some experience that you hope people build in the international group that you are about to play. So my review of the tournament is, what I can say is that I hope to get good results and do better than what I did last time.”
Nsubuga opens his campaign against Malaysia’s Yu Sheng Lim, while Myanmar’s top seed Hein Htut headlines the bracket against Alysian Mawani.
Other notable opening round men’s singles pairings include;
- Akhil Rao Suryaneri Vs Camilo Borst
- Rahim Nsubuga [8] Vs Ismail Mungufeni
- Adel Hamek [4] Vs Shilton Tayebwa
- Adheep Gupta Vs Abhishek Kanapala
- T. Boruah [7] Vs G. Alema
- Aashinsa Herath Vs U. Gopireddy
- Kabir KC Vs M. Walugembe
- Akbar Oduka Vs Ali Hayati [3]
- Fredrick Kadoli Vs Victor Ikechukwu
- Ouchefoun Vs M. Lubega [6]
- M. Belarbi Vs G. Dhulupudi
- Nyan Shaine Lin Vs J. Pauquet [2]
Women’s Singles
In the women’s singles bracket, 13-year-old Dhruvi Sagar Dattani commands attention as she skips qualifying to start directly in the Round of 32 for her second international tournament representing Uganda.
“I’m representing Uganda. This is my second international tournament for Uganda,” Dattani shared. “I would like to represent Uganda further. I’m 13 years old, and I’m really just playing for experience right now. I would like to represent Uganda furthermore in more international tournaments. I’ve trained enough, so I really think I’m prepared to give my best tomorrow.”
Dattani takes on Algeria’s Yasmina Chibah at 1:00 PM on Friday. The broader women’s singles opening fixtures feature an array of exciting domestic and international showdowns;
- Brenda Awori Vs Rubinah Bako
- Kate Ndagire Vs Akshita Manral
- Vanessa Nassali Vs Harshita Singh
- Habla Bouksani Vs Deborah Akamumpa
- Jennifer Lian Namuli Vs Ishita Negi
- Aastha Gandhi Vs Precious Nagawa
- Olivia Nakaja Vs Khadijah Opoyemi Emiola
- Immaculate Anembabazi Vs Kimberley Joan Ssendiwala
- Mobio Namakoye Vs Rebecca Nakiyingi
- Atayma Karim Alwani Vs Christine Fridah Mbuya
- Tracy Naluwooza Vs V. Nassali or H. Singh
- H. Bouksani or D. Akamumpa Vs J. Namuli or I. Negi
- A. Gandhi or P. Nagawa Vs O. Nakaja or K. Emiola
- I. Anembabazi or K. Ssendiwala Vs M. Ouchefoun or Linda Mazri
- Chibah or D. Dattani Vs M. Namakoye or R. Nakiyingi
- A. Alwani or C. Mbuya Vs Gladys Mbabazi [2]
Ugandan interest extends deep into the doubles categories. In the women’s doubles, top seeds Yasmina Chibah and Linda Mazri receive a direct bye into the quarterfinals, while local pairings like Gladys Mbabazi and Mebel Namakoye enjoy similar automatic progression.
Other clashes pit Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker against Brenda Awori and Olivia Nakaja, and Rubinah Bako and Vanessa Nassali against Deborah Akamumpa and Rebecca Nakiyingi.
The mixed doubles draw is similarly stacked, headlined by top seeds Muzafaru Lubega and Gladys Mbabazi receiving a first-round bye in the upper half.
Down the line, matchups like Ismail Mungufeni and Harshni Hirani testing their mettle against second seeds Reagan Nsubuga and Tracy Naluwooza promise high-octane entertainment.
The post Bruno Agaba books main draw berth as Uganda International Series serves off in Kampala appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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