Yvonne Mwikali and Jacinta Sengera in action/ HANDOUT Kenya’s silver-medal finish at the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) Region 5 Championships in Entebbe, Uganda, has given head coach Brijesh Sonigra a useful starting point for building the country’s Airbadminton programme.
Sonigra observed that the two-day competition offered more value than the second-place finish.
It was Kenya’s first competitive outing in the format and, more importantly, an opportunity for the players to experience international Airbadminton and understand what is required to compete at that level.
“We have given our best and, most importantly, the team has enjoyed playing,” Sonigra said.
Kenya opened with wins over Rwanda, Comoros and Burundi to set up a decisive meeting with hosts Uganda.
Uganda ended Kenya’s unbeaten run with a 60-52 victory in Tuesday’s team relay, but Sonigra believes the defeat offered lessons that will be useful as the programme develops.
“We lost to Uganda, of course, being the home team they are advantaged, but we take our lessons to the next level,” he said.
That next level comes almost immediately.
Kenya moves straight into the 2026 Kampala International Badminton Tournament, which starts Thursday at the Lugogo Indoor Stadium, giving the players little time to dwell on their silver medal.
The four-day tournament brings together players from 10 countries — Uganda, Myanmar, Luxembourg, India, Iran, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Algeria the United States and Malaysia.
It will expose Kenya to competition in men’s and women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
For a team still learning the demands of Airbadminton, that exposure could prove more valuable than the medal itself.
The format, played outdoors and featuring singles, doubles and triples, presents different demands from conventional badminton. Entebbe therefore provided the technical bench with its first meaningful opportunity to assess how the players adapt.
The quick turnaround in Kampala will test their recovery and adaptability, but it also extends the learning process.
“The bigger gain is having established a foundation from which the players can continue learning, competing and improving in the emerging discipline.”
That foundation is perhaps the biggest takeaway from Kenya’s debut.
The silver medal provides encouragement, but the real measure of the Entebbe experience will be how much the players improve when they return to the court.
