A team of seven players and one coach was flagged off yesterday for the first edition of the Egypt para-badminton championships.
The Championship will take place from the 23rd to the 28th of this month in Cairo and will be used by para-badminton players to collect points and qualify for the 2024 Paris para-olympics.
At the event outside Lugogo Indoor Arena, James Kasumba the administrative Secretary National Council of Sports said that most of the players on the traveling list are in Positions One and Two on the continent and are hoping for good results from Egypt.
Kasumba added that the NCS is ready to give support to Uganda’s para-badminton players to see that at least three qualify for the Paris Olympics which will include 22 sports and 549 events.
According to the Uganda Badminton Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Simon Mugabi badminton took only one para-badminton player in the Tokyo para-Olympics, and they want to see more at this year’s games.
“We have invested in our players for the past two years and now it’s time for them to make us proud,” Mugabi stated.
Uganda will need to perform well in the two remaining events; Egypt first, and the BWF para-badminton world championships that will be held in Pattaya, Thailand From the 19th to the 25th of February 2024.
Travelling squad
The traveling team includes: Ali Mukasa who is going as the team captain and will be playing in the wheelchair 2 category, and Rita Asiimwe who is seed two in Africa with 8780 points will be playing in the Standing upper 5 category.
Sarah Nazziwa ranked seed one in Africa and 18th in the world with 11175 points will be playing in the wheelchair one category, while Africa’s seed one and 22nd in the world in Elizabeth Mwesigwa with 10910 points will be playing in the standing lower 3 category.
Sumin Mutesi who is ranked Number one in Africa with 9085 points and 23rd in the world will be playing the standing upper 5, while Hasan Mubiru with 10490 points and ranked seed 2 in Africa, 36th in the world will be playing in standing lower 4.
Rose Nansereko who is 3rd in Africa, 24th in the world with 10520 points will be playing the standing lower 3 category.
The team will be under Mark Sekyondwa as the Head coach and it will be travelling by Egyptair.
Photo Credit: Kakeeto Gonzaga
