Uganda battles Egypt for All Africa Badminton semifinal spot

National badminton coach Ivan Karimunda remains optimistic about Uganda’s chances in the quarterfinals of the ongoing All Africa Mixed Teams Badminton Championships in Cameroon, believing the team can push for a podium finish.

Uganda secured a spot in the last eight after finishing second in Group C and will now face Egypt on day three of the tournament.

The team’s journey has been a mixed bag, suffering a 4-1 defeat to South Africa in their second group-stage match. Despite the loss, Karimunda is focusing on the positives.

“It’s good we are in second position and now have to fight hard to beat Egypt in the quarterfinal,” noted Karimunda.

Uganda started their campaign strongly, securing a dominant 5-0 victory over Reunion in their opening match.

However, against South Africa, Uganda’s only success came in the men’s doubles, where Muzafar Lubega and Augustus Owinyi triumphed over South Africa’s D. Stein and Robert Summer with a 3-0 win.

Meanwhile, defending champion Fadilah Shamika struggled against Johanita Schotz of South Africa, who won in straight sets.

Uganda competed in Group C alongside South Africa and Reunion. Group A featured Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, and Ghana, while Group B comprised Mauritius, Nigeria, Zambia, and Equatorial Guinea.

Following the team event, the All Africa Senior Individual Championships will commence at the same venue.

Day 2 results

Algeria 5–0 Cameroon

Mauritius 4–1 Zambia

Egypt 5–0 Ghana

South Africa 4–1 Uganda

Mauritius 2–3 Nigeria

Cameroon 5–0 Ghana

Zambia 5–0 Equatorial Guinea

Nigeria 5–0 Equatorial Guinea

Nigeria 5–0 Zambia

Algeria 3–2 Egypt