The Ugandan badminton fraternity has every reason to celebrate after Fadilah Shamika Mohammed Rafi delivered a historic performance at the 2026 All Africa Senior Badminton Championship in Gaborone, Botswana, clinching gold in women’s singles and adding a bronze medal in women’s doubles.
Sunday, 15th February 2026, will forever be etched in Shamika’s career. The 22-year-old produced a stirring comeback to defeat her long-time South African rival, Johanita Scholtz, in a gripping three-set final.
After taking the opening game 21-17, Shamika dropped the second 16-21 before rallying to edge the decider 21-19 and seal the women’s singles title.
Her victory not only secured Uganda’s second gold medal at the championship but also elevated her into the record books as the first Ugandan woman to win two gold medals at the All Africa Senior Championship.
An emotional Shamika admitted the triumph came despite limited preparation.
“I’m grateful for this because I really didn’t have much time to prepare,” she said.
“Honestly, I want to thank my dad for pushing me to reach this level. I was exhausted but he kept telling me ‘one more to go’.”
“What kept me going was to decide to think as I played because I was tired but kept going.”
Shamika’s golden moment capped an impressive campaign in Gaborone. Earlier, she teamed up with national captain Tracy Naluwooza to secure bronze in the women’s doubles.
The Ugandan pair fell 2-0 in the semifinals to South Africa’s Amy Ackerman and Johanita Scholtz (21-16, 21-10), but their podium finish added further gloss to Uganda’s medal haul.
The achievement mirrors their 2023 performance at the All Africa Senior Championship in South Africa, where Shamika won gold in women’s singles and, alongside Naluwooza, claimed bronze in women’s doubles — a testament to their enduring consistency on the continental stage.
Uganda fielded a team of 10 players at the championship, led by captain Tracy Naluwooza under the stewardship of coach Frank Muwuluzi.
While most of the squad exited in the Round of 32 and quarterfinal stages, and the team event campaign was hampered by flight challenges, Shamika’s heroics ensured the national flag flew high.
The continental showpiece also incorporated the 2026 All Africa Men’s and Women’s Team Badminton Championships, staged in Gaborone from 9th to 12th February 2026, which served as African qualifiers for the 2026 Thomas & Uber Cup.
Attention now shifts to home soil. The Uganda Badminton Association is preparing for the forthcoming Uganda International Challenge Championships, scheduled from February 18th to 22nd at the MTN Arena Lugogo in Kampala.
More than 40 countries are expected to participate in what promises to be another major test for Uganda’s rising badminton stars.
For Shamika Rafi, however, Gaborone 2026 will stand as a defining chapter — a tournament where resilience, belief and brilliance combined to produce gold.
