India and Peru dominate as Uganda Para Badminton enters day three
Players from both countries have consistently outperformed their opponents, positioning themselves as frontrunners for the top honors at the 7th edition of the prestigious event.
Ugandan wheelchair 2 players compete with a pair from Peru at Lugogo. Photo: Silvano Kibuuka
By Silvano Kibuuka
Journalists @New Vision
India and Peru are emerging as dominant forces at the ongoing Uganda Para Badminton International tournament, now in its third day at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
Players from both countries have consistently outperformed their opponents, positioning themselves as frontrunners for the top honors at the 7th edition of the prestigious event.
Uganda’s top hopefuls, Hassan Mubiru (men’s singles seed no. 2) and Sarah Nazziwa, continued their strong performances with convincing victories on Thursday. Nazziwa defeated compatriot Flavia Basuuta 2-0 to top her group in the Wheelchair 1 category. However, she now faces a tougher test in the next round against a highly rated Indian opponent.
In other matches, Elizabeth Mwesigwa also secured a win, overcoming Uganda’s Juliet Namunoga 2-0 in the women’s singles.
South African para badminton player Barend Bester (left) playing against Latif Ngobi 2-0 at Lugogo. Photo: Silvano Kibuuka
One of the day’s most gripping performances came from Latif Ngobi, who pushed South Africa’s Barend Baster to three sets before narrowly losing 2-1 in the men’s singles. Ngobi, a player from Luuka, won the opening set but couldn’t match Baster’s power in the remaining two.
“He was such a big man, and I struggled to return his strong shots,” Ngobi said. “It was a tough match, but a valuable learning experience for me.”
Despite the absence of some countries due to withdrawals, Uganda Badminton Association (UBA) CEO Simon Mugabi expressed satisfaction with the tournament's growing popularity. He noted the inclusion of new participating nations such as Sweden and Estonia as a sign of the event’s expanding international appeal.
However, Mugabi also lamented the no-shows of several Ugandan players from Mubende Barracks, who missed their scheduled matches.
The tournament, which features athletes across various para badminton classifications, concludes this Sunday.
Some Selected Results
Women
Sarah Nazziwa bt Flavia Basuuta 2-0 (21-14, 21-15)
Elizabeth Mwesigwa bt Juliet Namunoga 2-0 (21-3, 21-8)
Amunda Saravanan (IND) bt Mrida Nakaima 2-0 (21-0, 21-1)
Diana Rojas (PER) bt Sumin Mutesi 2-0 (21-6, 21-7)
Men
BIdhasindhu Bark (IND) bt Godfrey Katalo (UGA) 2-0 (21-14, 21-10)
Barend Beser (S.A) bt Latif Ngobi 2-1 (15-21, 21-17, 21-18)
Rahul Vinai (IND) bt Jonathan Ochan (UGA) 2-0 (21-6, 21-10)