All Africa Badminton Senior Championship: Team Uganda Die Fighting, Switches Focus to Individual Events

Team Uganda did not make it out of the quarter final level in team events after losing 3-1 to Egypt in Wednesday action in Johannesburg.

Uganda only won the mixed doubles in the ongoing All Africa Badminton Senior Championship, Brian Kasirye and Fadilah Shamika beat Adham Hatem and Elgamal Doha Hany, the former duo beat the latter two sets straight 21-14,21-16.

Though they lost other three games in women singles, men singles and women doubles, the Ugandans died fighting and Brian Kasirye in men singles lost to Ahmed Salah by whisker. The game ended 2-1 [21-19,08-21,21-19] in favor of Ahmed. 

In women singles, Husna Kobugabe lost to Nour Ahmed Youssri two sets straight [21-15,21-16], while in women doubles, Husna Kobugabe and Fadilah Shamika lost to Egyptian duo of Nour Ahmed Youssri and Doha Hany 21-15,21-18 in two sets defeat.

However, team Uganda shifted the focus on the individual events that are starting on 17th, which is tomorrow as the coach, Kalimunda Ivan and Captain Muzafaru Lubega explains.

“We lost our quarter final match against Egypt, 3-1, it was really hard luck, the games were close, they could have gone either way, we started on good note, winning our first mixed doubles, Brian Kasirye lost the single, it was very tight, it would have brought us back in the game. There was a little bit of lack of killer instincts in the last part but we shall work on that.

So we are shifting our focus to the individual events, and our players are fully prepared and focused, tomorrow we are going to have a meeting. Now the medals we can get are in individual events and we are opportunistic that we can get them.” Says Coach Kalimunda Ivan.

In the same line, Team Uganda’s captain, Muzafaru Lubega also believes that they can still get a medal from Johannesburg.

“We are still on track, our focus is now on individual events and we believe we can still get the medals from Johannesburg.”