National Council of Sports (NCS) General Secretary Dr Patrick Bernard Ogwel has challenged Uganda’s badminton players to build on their experience from the Uganda International Badminton Series after a competitive tournament that exposed them to strong international opposition.
Ogwel made the call on Sunday at the Lugogo Indoor Arena in Kampala as the tournament climaxed, with Uganda’s Muzafaru Lubega and Gladys Mbabazi settling for silver in the Mixed Doubles.
Lubega and Mbabazi were Uganda’s only finalists, losing to Malaysia’s Hafiz Hakimi Hashim and Lim Xuan in the title decider.
Addressing the players at the closing ceremony, Ogwel urged them not to be discouraged by the defeat.
“Do not be discouraged by the defeat. Reaching the final against strong international opposition is an achievement, and it should motivate you to work even harder,” Ogwel said.
He commended the Ugandan pair for carrying the hosts’ challenge to the final, while encouraging other players to draw lessons from the competition.
Ogwel also praised Badminton Uganda for organising international-standard events that expose local players to different styles and levels of competition.
“We commend Badminton Uganda for consistently organising international competitions here.
These events give our players valuable experience and an opportunity to compete against players from different countries,” he said.
Uganda fielded players across the men’s and women’s singles, doubles and Mixed Doubles categories, although Lubega and Mbabazi were the only home representatives to reach a final.
The NCS chief further revealed that the next edition of the Uganda International Badminton Series could be moved to northern Uganda, with Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira emerging as a potential venue.
“Lugogo Indoor Arena is expected to undergo renovations, so we could have the next edition at Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira,” Ogwel said.
The proposed relocation would give players outside Kampala an opportunity to experience international-level badminton on home soil while broadening the geographical reach of the sport.
Full Results
Mixed Doubles
Hafiz Hakimi Hashim & Lim Xuan — Malaysia
Muzafaru Lubega & Gladys Mbabazi — Uganda
Mohamed Abdelaziz Ouchefoun & Linda Mazri — Algeria
Reagan Michael Nsubuga & Tracy Nalwooza — Uganda
Women’s Doubles
Akshita Manral & Ishita Negi — India
Sonali Singh & Ritika Thaker — India
Gladys Mbabazi & Meble Namakoye — Uganda
Fadilah Shamika Mohamed Rafi & Tracy Nalwooza — Uganda
Men’s Doubles
Hafiz Hakimi Hashim & Meng Fong Wong — Malaysia
Manav Choudhary & Himanshu Tiwari — India
Abhyuday Choudhary & Ayush Makhija — India
Andy Yew Tung Kok & Yu Sheng Lim — Malaysia
Women’s Singles
Aesha Gandhi — India
Akshita Manral — India
Ishita Negi — India
Gladys Mbabazi — Uganda
Men’s Singles
Hein Htut — Myanmar
Ali Hayati — Iran
Abhishek Kanapala — India
Victor Ikechukwu — Nigeria
