Uganda finishes second at Para Badminton International with three gold medals

Uganda bagged three gold medals to finish second behind Nigeria at the 2026 Para Badminton Uganda International Tournament, which concluded at the Lugogo Indoor Arena on Sunday.

The hosts fielded 24 players in the individual event and registered their best-ever performance at the annual tournament after winning three gold, six silver and eight bronze medals.

Brian Mugabe (Men's Wheelchair 1), Elizabeth Mwesigwa (Standing Lower 3) and Harriet Nakayima (Standing Lower 4) secured Uganda's first-ever gold medals at the annual international event.

Nigeria, which entered 11 players, topped the medal standings with six gold, six silver and eight bronze medals. Benin claimed one gold medal, while Rwanda finished with a silver medal.

Mwesigwa described her victory as a reward for more than a decade of dedication to the sport since para badminton was introduced in Uganda. "I am happy to win my first gold medal. It gives me a lot of motivation, especially after improving my international ranking," Mwesigwa said.

Badminton Uganda Chief Executive Officer Simon Mugabi praised the determination of the Ugandan players and appealed to sponsors to invest more in para sports. He noted that the tournament had enabled Ugandan players to win medals and improve their international rankings, boosting their chances of qualifying for future global competitions.

"Our players need access to better facilities and equipment in individual sports like badminton. We have talented and committed athletes who need support from sponsors and the corporate world because Badminton Uganda mainly comes in during national team engagements," Mugabi said.

He added that regular participation in international tournaments would further improve the players' world rankings and strengthen Uganda's bid to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, with the qualification period expected to begin on January 1, 2027.

Mugabi, however, expressed disappointment over the reduced turnout of participating countries. Only six nations eventually attended, despite 17 initially confirming participation, following concerns arising from the Ebola outbreak in Uganda.

Nigeria's Emmanuel Oheiri commended the standard of the tournament despite the smaller field and thanked sponsors from Abia State for supporting the Nigerian team.