Uganda's top player ejected

By Norman Katende

EDWIN Ekiring stayed top of the Africa ranking, despite bowing out during the second round of the Uganda International Badminton Championships on Saturday.

Action concludes at Sharing Youth Centre, Nsambya today with the finals of the singles and doubles events.

Ekiring, based in the Netherland, went down in straight sets 22-20, 21-17 to Italian entrant Hayo Putro.

Ekiring, Uganda’s leading player, had beaten Turkey’s Murat in the previous round.

Another Uganda player Wilson Tukire was shown shown the door by Kaveh Mehrabi of Iran in straight sets 21-18, 21-11.

The players exit also marked the end of African stars in the competition.

Players from Asia and European are now in control of the competition after some brilliant performances.

At the same time, South African Malieka, who beat Ekiring to gold at the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique last year, fell to Sri Lanka’s Niluka Karunalantne 21-13, 21-8.

But Ekiring maintained his top ranking in Africa after Malieka, who is also highly rated faltered.

Ekiring and Tukire bowed out of the event just like Kenya’s Patrick Kinyua, the other African player who was still in the race for honours.

The annual competition, sanctioned by the world badminton body, attracted leading players from 21 countries.