Over 100 Badminton Players Fight for 2026 All Africa Games Slots

A total of 102 badminton athletes took part in a two-day National Badminton Ranking Tournament held in Nairobi, an event aimed at identifying Kenya’s top players ahead of the 2026 national team selection process.

The tournament, hosted at the Rajjput Hall in South C, Nairobi, brought together players from more than 20 counties across the country, highlighting the growing reach of badminton in Kenya.

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Speaking on Saturday, Badminton Kenya Federation President Peter Muchiri explained that the tournament was used to rank players and select the top eight athletes in each category. These players will be invited to national trials scheduled for January 10, 2026.

“The top eight-ranked players will be invited on January 10th for a selection that will only pick 20 athletes who will represent Kenya at the All Africa Games in Botswana in February 2026,” said Muchiri.

The invited players will compete in round-robin matches against one another during the trials as they seek to secure a place on the final team.

Muchiri noted that the federation is entering a new phase of activity after a relatively quiet year, promising an expanded calendar moving forward.

“We are rejuvenating this federation because, as you know, we did not have many activities this year. That is going to change, because our 2026 calendar year starts now,” he said.

He further emphasised the federation’s commitment to grassroots development, revealing plans to introduce more local tournaments across different age groups.

“Next year, we will organise more local tournaments with age categories going as low as kindergarten level. We must think about the future of badminton in Kenya,” Muchiri added, urging players to prepare for increased local and international competition.

Kenya’s number one-ranked badminton player, Sammy Sikoyo, who represented the country at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, also took part in the tournament.

Sikoyo used the occasion to call on the federation to introduce a structured curriculum to educate players on the rules and technical aspects of the game.

He noted that a better understanding of the rules would improve player performance and competitiveness at international events.

Following the conclusion of the tournament, athletes will now wait until Tuesday next week, when Badminton Kenya is expected to officially announce the top eight players per category.

Those selected will qualify for the national trials, from which only 20 athletes will earn the coveted All Africa Games tickets.

The National Badminton Ranking Tournament featured four categories:

Men’s Singles

Men’s Doubles

Ladies’ Singles

Ladies’ Doubles

The event marked a key step in Kenya’s preparations for continental competition and signalled renewed momentum within the sport as the federation looks ahead to 2026.