The Kenya Airbadminton national team made a remarkable performance at the Africa Airbadminton championships held at Aero Beach in Entebbe, Uganda. The women's triples team, consisting of Jacinta Sengera, Blessings Vuyanzi, and Yvonne Mwikali, won a gold medal in their debut continental showdown event. This achievement was praised by the national team gaffer, Brijesh Sonigra, who attributed their success to the team's hard work and talent.
The men's doubles team, led by captain Sammy Sikoyo, Edwin Akwanyi, and Calvin Simiyu, won a bronze medal after losing to champions Egypt in the semifinals. The Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) awarded two teams each a third-place medal, instead of heading to the third-place playoffs. Sonigra expressed pride in his team's achievement, citing the huge task ahead to nurture the talent in Kenya and dominate the Africa crown.
Kenya began their campaign with the mixed doubles round of 32, with Akwanyi and Mwikali winning 3-1 against Burundi, while Sikoyo and Vuyanzi lost 3-1 against Uganda. Sengera and Simiyu won 3-1 against Algeria, but only two pairs made it to the round of 16. Akwanyi and Mwikali lost 3-0 against Burundi, and Sengera/Simiyu lost 3-1 against Burkina Faso.
In the men's doubles, Sikoyo teamed up with Akwanyi to beat hosts Uganda 3-2 in the round of 32, beat Tunisia 3-0 in the round of 16, and beat Benin 3-1 in the quarterfinals. However, they lost to champions Egypt in the semifinals, settling for a bronze medal. The women's doubles team, Sengera and Vuyanzi, lost 3-2 against Burkina Faso in the round of 32.
The triples category saw Sikoyo teaming up with Akwanyi and Simiyu, but they lost 3-2 to defending champions Egypt. However, the ladies, Sengera, Vuyanzi, and Mwikali, got off to a quick start, winning 3-1 against Benin. They then beat Uganda 3-1 in the semifinals to book a final ticket with Egypt.
The final match between Kenya and Egypt was a nerve-breaking encounter that sent chills of fear down the spines of the Kenya technical bench. Unfortunately, Sengera, Vuyanzi, and Mwikali were no match for the North Africans, dominating and winning all three sets to a final score of 3-0.
Sonigra expressed pride in his team's achievement, citing the huge task ahead to nurture the talent in Kenya and dominate the Africa crown. The Kenya team's performance at the Africa Airbadminton championships is a significant milestone, marking a maiden gold medal for Kenya in the continental showdown event.
Key points
- - Kenya's women's triples team won a gold medal in their debut continental showdown event. - The men's doubles team won a bronze medal after losing to champions Egypt in the semifinals. - The Kenya team's performance marks a significant milestone, marking a maiden gold medal for Kenya in the continental showdown event.
