Kenya Adds Another Medal to Airbadminton Haul with Silver in Uganda

Kenya followed up its impressive debut at the Africa Airbadminton Championships with another strong showing in Uganda, securing a silver medal at the two-day Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) Region 5 Airbadminton Championship at Aero Beach in Entebbe.

The result comes shortly after Kenya’s successful debut at the Africa Airbadminton Championships, where the team won gold and bronze medals.

Despite falling to hosts Uganda in the decisive encounter, Kenya’s performance marked another encouraging step for a team still gaining experience in the emerging discipline.

Speaking on Tuesday after the final whistle against Uganda, Kenya head coach Brijesh Sonigra expressed satisfaction with his players' efforts, particularly given that it was their first appearance in an Airbadminton competition.

"We have given our best, and of most important, the team has enjoyed playing," Sonigra said. "We lost to Uganda; of course, being the home team, they are advantaged, but we take our lessons on to the next level," he added.

The regional championships began on Monday with a round-robin format, with Kenya opening its campaign against Rwanda on Court 1.

In the women's triples, Yvonne Mwikali, Blessing Buyanzi and skipper Jacinta Sengera secured a 15-3 victory over Marie Michelle Louange Musingize, Benie Christa Shimo Gashema and Vanessa Urusaro.

Kenya also enjoyed a strong outing in the men's doubles, with captain Sammy Sikoyo partnering Edwin Akwanyi to defeat Yves Niyomukiza and Hervé Tuyizere 30-13.

The women's doubles pairing of Jacinta Sengera and Blessing Buyanzi then produced another convincing result, defeating Benie Christa Shimo Gashema and Vanessa Urusaro 45-18.

In the men's triples, Sikoyo, Akwanyi and Simiyu completed Kenya's clean sweep against Rwanda with a 60-29 victory over Hakizimana, Niyomukiza and Tuyizere.

Kenya continued its strong run against Comoros, with Sonigra making changes to his combinations for the next round of matches. Sengera and Mwikali teamed up in the women's doubles to defeat Nouzouhat Ahamada and Roza M'Hadji 15-4.

In the men's triples, Simiyu, Sikoyo and Akwanyi secured a 30-11 victory against Bacar Chamsidine, Mounya Kamardine and Said Mohamed.

The Kenyan women followed that up with another convincing win in the triples, claiming a 45-11 victory. Kenya completed another dominant performance in the men's doubles, with Simiyu and Akwanyi defeating Bacar Chamsidine and Ibrahim El-Haya 60-16. The results saw Kenya carry its momentum into the final day with its sights firmly set on the overall title.

Tuesday brought the decisive stage of the competition, with Kenya facing two crucial assignments in the team relays. The first task was to overcome Burundi before taking on hosts Uganda, who, like Kenya, had remained unbeaten in their pool.

Kenya got the job done against Burundi, winning 60-41 and setting up a final showdown with Uganda. The final was a closely contested affair across the men's doubles and triples as well as the women's doubles and triples. Kenya ultimately fell 60-52, with Uganda taking the gold medal while Kenya settled for silver.

Despite missing out on the top prize, the performance provided valuable competitive experience for Sonigra's players, who are still relatively new to Airbadminton.

Kenya will now remain in Uganda for the 2026 Kampala International Badminton Tournament, scheduled for September 24-27 at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium.

The tournament is expected to attract players from Kenya, hosts Uganda, Myanmar, Luxembourg, India, Iran, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Algeria, the United States and Malaysia.

Players will compete across five events: Men's Singles (MS), Women's Singles (WS), Women's Doubles (WD), Men's Doubles (MD) and Mixed Doubles (XD).

For Kenya, the Kampala tournament offers another opportunity to build on its encouraging Airbadminton performances and continue testing its players against international opposition.

The silver medal in Entebbe gives Sonigra's charges another confidence boost as they head into their next assignment, with the team looking to turn its growing experience into further success on the international stage.