Kenya claimed its first-ever gold medal in AirBadminton at the Africa Championships in Entebbe, Uganda, capping a historic debut in the fast-growing outdoor discipline of the sport.
The women’s triples team of Jacinta Sengera, Blessings Vuyanzi and Yvonne Mwikali swept past Egypt 3-0 in the final at Aero Beach, sealing a gold medal on Kenya’s maiden appearance in the continental event. The trio had earlier dispatched Benin 3-1 and hosts Uganda 3-1 en route to the final, going through the tournament unbeaten before their triumph.
In the men’s doubles category, Sammy Sikoyo and Edwin Akwanyi delivered a bronze-medal performance, battling past Uganda 3-2, Tunisia 3-0 and Benin 3-1 to reach the semi-finals, where they fell 3-2 to defending champions Egypt in a tightly contested clash.
National team coach Brijesh Sonigra hailed the results as a breakthrough for a discipline still in its infancy in the country. “It’s the first time we are playing in AirBadminton, but see what they have achieved,” he said, adding that the performances pointed to significant untapped talent that could be developed further with continued investment in the sport.
AirBadminton, an outdoor variant of badminton played with a specially designed shuttle resistant to wind, has been steadily gaining traction across the continent as a lower-cost, accessible alternative to the traditional indoor game, with the Badminton Confederation of Africa pushing to grow participation in the format.
Kenya fielded a six-member team at the championships, and the medal haul is expected to boost the domestic profile of the sport, which has traditionally struggled for visibility and funding compared to more established disciplines. Federation officials say the results will be used to make the case for greater investment in grassroots AirBadminton programmes ahead of future continental and global qualifying events.
The Africa Championships in Entebbe conclude this weekend, with several other nations, including hosts Uganda, Benin and Tunisia, also fielding competitive squads across the men’s and women’s categories.