Five years down the road without the Taibah Schools badminton tournament, it has finally returned.
The tournament that started way back in the early 2000s has had a five-year break due to the outbreak of Covid-19 that affected all sports activities in 2020
On the morning of Wednesday, 18th March 2020 the press conference for the 20th edition of the Taibah Schools Badminton tournament was held at Taibah Junior School in Kawempe – Ttula and immediately after the Launch, there were orders from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni stopping all school activities so as to control the spread of covid-19.
What seemed a two-week order went on for months and years and the tournament only had a press conference done but no action took place since that date of 18th March 2020.
After five years of no Taibah Schools Badminton tournament, the 2025 tournament was officially confirmed in the Launch that was held at Taibah International School Bwebajja Branch.
The tournament is set for 14th- 16th March 2025 and will be held at Lugogo Indoor Stadium with over 30 schools (Primary and Secondary) confirmed to take part.
Some of the schools that have confirmed participation include Taibah International Schools, Kibuli SS, Kakungulu Memorial School, Mbogo High School, Rubaga Girls, Kampala Junior Academy, and Nabisunsa Girls to mention but a few.
While speaking to the media after confirming the return of this tournament and injecting in 10 million Uganda shillings, the Principal of Taibah International Schools, Oscar Semweya Musoke, said that they want to see students not only grow in academics but also in sports.
“As Taibah, we will continue supporting this tournament because this is also another way for people in sports to get income because a while ago sportsmen were not appreciated but now everyone is seeing the value of sports,” Semweya said.
With the return of this tournament, Simon Mugabi the CEO Uganda Badminton Association says they are going to make sure that this tournament is played every year and also included in the UBA activity calendar.
CATEGORIES THAT WILL BE PLAYED
This year’s edition is going to be different from the past editions when it comes to the categories that will be playing.
For the past editions, this tournament had an Under 18 category which has been erased and it will be now under 19 which is also being used by the world body that controls Badminton.
Another change is that this year’s edition will also include double categories that were not there before. The categories include: Under 10 boys and girls, under 13 boys and girls, under 15 boys and girls, under 19 boys and girls.
Doubles: boys’ doubles, girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles
Taiba Schools Badminton tournament and Picfare badminton championships have for the past years helped in the search for talented players.
Almost all of Uganda’s best badminton players have passed through these two tournaments, especially Taibah Schools badminton tournament. Players like Edwin Ekiring who was Uganda’s seed 1 for many years and Africa’s seed 2 represented Uganda in the Olympics twice (London 2012 and Beijing 2008) went for the Commonwealth Games and many other big badminton events is a product of Taibah Schools Badminton tournament.
Other key players that went through this tournament are; Kasirye Brian, Husina Kobugabe, Shamika Fadilah, Aisha Nakiyemba, Shamim Bangi, and Tracy Naluwooza among others.
THE 2019 PERFORMANCE
Mbogo High School win the girls’ team event (U-19) after edging Rubaga Girls School in a spirited display. For the U-19 boys, Kibuli SS overcame neighbours Kakungulu Memorial to the team gold.
Individual top performers:
U-10 Girls:
Kimberely Ssendiwala of Mapeera Nursery and Primary School was the best player in the girls’ U-10 event.
Mbogo Parents’ Trisha Kyuuka was runner-up. Bayati Nandagire (Katikamu Primary School) and Vanessa Ofoyuru (Good Shepherd) followed in the third and fourth places respectively.
U-10 Boys:
Arafat Mutoto, a pupil from Mbale-based Yoweri Museveni Primary School, was the best after beating Denis Mukasa (St Peter Primary School) in the well-contested finale.
Arafat Kibirige of Entebbe came third and Reagan Wanyala of Busia came fourth.
U-13:
Kitante Primary School’s Akbar Oduka was the best male and Catherine Ndagiire (Entebbe) emerged as the best female in the U-13 category.
U-15:
Tracy Naluwooza of Mbogo High School was the best female in the U-15 category and Kibuli’s Samuel Wasswa emerged as the most outstanding male in the U-15 category.
U-18 Girls:
Naluwooza (Mbogo High School) was also the victor in the female U-19 category having defeated Rubaga Girls’ Vivian Olivia Naakojja in the final.
Rubaga Girls’ Shamira Fadilah beat Mbogo High’s Rajab Natasha to take third place.
U-18 Boys:
Kakungulu Memorial’s Muzafaru Lubega beat Kibuli’s Augustus Owinyi to the individual gold medal.
Kibuli SS’ Expendito Emuddu was third ahead of schoolmate Amos Muyanja.
