Shamika eyes 2028 Olympics points at Kampala International
Rahim Nsubuga is the only Ugandan player to qualify for the men's singles main draw of 64 after competing in the qualification stage alongside 22 domestic players and 14 foreign players.
Fadilah Shamika training for the Thomas and Uber Cup. Photo: Silvano Kibuuka
Uganda's badminton players will be aiming for podium finishes when the Kampala International Badminton Tournament enters its second day on Friday at the Lugogo Indoor Arena.
Rahim Nsubuga is the only Ugandan player to qualify for the men's singles main draw of 64 after competing in the qualification stage alongside 22 domestic players and 14 foreign players. Of the eight players who qualified, two Ndogo Sikoyo and Edwin Akwanyi are from Kenya.
Uganda's seeded players Fadilah Shamika, Gladys Mbabazi, and Tracy Naluwooza in the women's category, and Akbar Oduka, Reagan Nsubuga, and Denis Mukasa in the men's category, will lead the country's challenge at the sixth edition of the Kampala International Tournament.
In the women's singles, Fadilah and Mbabazi enter the competition as the top two seeded players, respectively.
After her final training session at the Lugogo Indoor Arena, Fadilah said she is targeting a podium finish, but her main objective is to collect Badminton World Federation (BWF) qualification points ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
"I am targeting collecting maximum points early ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics just to sum up at the end of qualification without much pressure. All tournaments are tough, so I don't take it lightly. But I am using the experience attained from the international tournaments I have been engaged in," said Fadilah.
Seeded second, Mbabazi expects a highly competitive tournament and is prepared to face some of the Indian players she encountered at the Cameroon International Tournament last month.
Uganda's men are also banking on the experience gained from the recent Air Badminton competition to secure podium finishes, according to coach Muzafar Lubega.
"We are fresh from a tournament, and I am expecting a podium finish in the singles," said Lubega.
Myanmar's Herin Htut is the top seed in the men's singles, while France's Jerome Paquet is seeded second.
Badminton Uganda CEO Simon Mugabi said the tournament is important for the players as they seek valuable points on the BWF ranking scale.
The three-day tournament has attracted 137 players from 14 countries, including 56 Ugandans. The participating countries are India, Iran, South Africa, the USA, Kenya, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Uganda, the host.