Ugandan badminton stars Fadillah Shamika Mohamed Rafi and Tracy Naluwooza thrilled home fans with a silver-medal finish in the women’s doubles at the 2025 Uganda International Series in Kampala over the weekend.
The pair reached the final in superb form but fell 2–0 to Switzerland’s Jenjira Stadelmann and Leila Zarrouk, who proved the stronger side in the championship match. Still, the Ugandans’ spirited run was a highlight of the tournament and a proud moment for the hosts.
“We’ve worked really hard for this,” said a smiling Shamika after the final. “Our training has been intense, and we’ve corrected a lot of past mistakes. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, but there’s still more work ahead.”
Shamika added that preparations have already begun for their next challenge, the East Africa City Tyres Challenge with a month-long training camp planned to fine-tune their form.
Uganda’s overall showing reflected significant progress, collecting six medals, two silver and four bronze.
Alongside Shamika and Naluwooza’s silver, Meble Namakoye and Rajab Shamsa Mbira bagged bronze in the women’s doubles, while Muzafaru Lubega and Husina Kobugabe took bronze in the mixed doubles.
Malaysia dominated the event, winning 10 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze), followed by India with 1 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze. Uganda’s six medals underscored its growing presence on the international badminton stage.
Medal Highlights
Women’s Doubles
🥇 Jenjira Stadelmann & Leila Zarrouk (Switzerland)
🥈 Fadillah Shamika Mohamed Rafi & Tracy Naluwooza (Uganda)
🥉 Lim Xuan & Joanne Ng (Malaysia); Meble Namakoye & Rajab Shamsa Mbira (Uganda)
Men’s Singles
🥇 Hein Htut (Myanmar)
🥈 M. Ariffin Nazri Md Zakaria (Malaysia)
Women’s Singles
🥇 Rujula Ramu (India)
🥈 Joanne Ng (Malaysia)
🥉 Sausan Dwi Ramadhani (Indonesia)
Men’s Doubles
🥇 Ashraf Daniel Md Zakaria & M. Ariffin Nazri Md Zakaria (Malaysia)
🥈 Tanmoy Bikash Boruah & Kuldeep Kamal (India)
🥉 Dharmagna Mandapati & Chiranjeevi Reddy Sundar (India)
Mixed Doubles
🥇 Zi Xiang Chong & Joanne Ng (Malaysia)
🥈 Kuldeep Kamal & Aheri Paul (India)
🥉 Ashraf Daniel Md Zakaria & Lim Xuan (Malaysia); Muzafaru Lubega & Husina Kobugabe (Uganda)
