Badminton star Nakiyemba eyes 2018 Olympics

Dec 06, 2016

Seeded 286 in the world, with 3693 points, Nakiyemba is now aiming to be among the top 100

Uganda Seed 2 female badminton player Aisha Nakiyemba is determined to compete at the 2018 Olympic Games after getting a bronze medal in the Zambia International last week.

Nakiyemba stopped Zambia's Joy Chikwanda in the first round, before eliminating Elizabeth Chipeleme 21-8, 21-5 and Egyptian Hany Doha, 21-15, 21-18 in the quarter finals to storm the semi-finals, where she fell to Africa's seed 5 and Zambia'a Seed-2, Ogar Samupangira, 21-15, 21-16.

This was Nakiyemba's second foreign badminton medal after the team bronze that she won with Team Uganda in the Thomas and Uber Cup in Mauritius in March.

Seeded 286 in the world, with 3693 points, Nakiyemba is now aiming to be among the top 100 in order to qualify for the Olympics.

"I'm aiming to play all the Africa International tournaments in Mauritius, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa and Botswana to be able to get the necessary points; hopefully I will make it, but I have to start working out now," Nakiyemba stated.

This year, the Seed 2 competed in two local tournaments; the City Tyres East African Open and the Tamil East Africa open badminton tournaments where she finished as runner up in the singles but won a doubles gold when she paired Shamim Bangi, with whom they are Seed -1 in the doubles.

She also participated in the Rift Valley open tournament in Kenya where she won the women singles and women doubles.






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