Ekiring gives back to Ugandan badminton with major equipment donation

Driven by his passion for badminton, former national player Edwin Ekiring generously donated a variety of equipment to inspire the young athletes at Hope Badminton Academy in Gayaza over the weekend.

Now a coach-player at Luxembourg Badminton Club Europeen, the former Africa’s top seed, two-time Olympian, and Ugandan Commonwealth Games representative brought over 50 pairs of shoes, rackets, shuttles, and jerseys to support the 65 aspiring players at the Gayaza-based academy.

Uganda Badminton president Annet Nakamya, who doubles as the head of the academy, welcomed the donation that included rackets, junior rackets, professional rackets, shuttles, nets, clothing, and shoes, saying that they are going to retain some and pass on some other equipment to some schools and some organisations so they can also benefit from this project.

“We are truly grateful to Ekiring for remembering his roots. Even though he now lives outside Uganda, he continues to give back. He cares deeply about badminton and its growth in Uganda. We also appreciate the organisations that have donated through him, including those from Luxembourg, and the individuals who have contributed equipment for use here,” Nakamya said.

“We are hopeful that this equipment will help Play of Hope reach the next level. Our club is always open, and we train children every week, so our equipment wears out quickly. Whenever he brings new equipment, it is a big help. We also want to reach out to former badminton players, many of whom now live abroad. Badminton played a big role in their lives, and we hope they will consider supporting us too.”

Parents and children from the academy were also grateful for Ekiring’s strong support for badminton, which will help them improve their skills in the sport. Ekiring said he teamed up with some Dutch, Luxembourgish, and German badminton clubs to make this happen.

“It's really important for these kids to feel like someone believes in them and their potential to become great players. We gave them over a hundred rackets, along with shoes, shuttlecocks, nets, and clothing,” Ekiring said.

He said the biggest challenge is the shipping costs and taxes involved. “Without proper donation status, you can't get the gear into Uganda. Mobilising clubs to donate is also tough because shipping itself is quite costly.”

Ekiring said he was looking for partnerships to build an indoor sports hall for badminton in Nkoko Njeru as well as setting up an academy.

“As for the academy, we're not sure yet; it will depend on a few things. First, we need to get all the equipment and materials sorted, set up the hall, and raise the necessary funds. Once we have the hall ready, and we already own the land, we'll need support to actually build the badminton hall and everything that goes with it. So, yes, that's what we're aiming for in the future.”

Julian Nauma, a parent with Play of Hope Academy, was grateful for the offer, saying:

“We are incredibly thankful because this equipment will really help our players improve. This equipment will help our children develop further in the sport. As a community, many parents struggle to afford rackets and shuttles because they're quite expensive. So, receiving these items for free to help our children play more and grow their love for the game is fantastic. To any organisations out there who are passionate about the sport and can offer assistance, we are truly grateful and extend a warm welcome to our facility. Our goal is to have over 100 children playing this sport in this area, so any support would be greatly appreciated.”