SPLENDID PERFORMANCE BY THE IVORIANS IN THE MIXED DOUBLES SL3-SU5 CLASS.
The pairing of Deada Jean Yves Yao and Masere Junior Beda produced one of the exciting matches of the day. Pairing up for the first time, the duo faced the Spanish pair of J. Polo and Sandhez De Lechina in a three-game thriller that saw the Ivorian Coach Poute Christian on his feet for the entire game.
» It was a great game. Our initial game plan was to keep Massere at the forecourt, and I would hold the rear court, but we were pleasantly surprised that we had good chemistry and could coordinate very well. Our movement on the court was syncing very well.” Said the soft-spoken Deada who converted to Para badminton from Para swimming.
» If I played like this in my singles match against Amarendra Behera from India, it would be a different story. I am, however, happy that my partner brought her A game considering this is her first international outing.”
Fresh from the BCA Player Training Camp held in Uganda before the tournament as part of BCA’s strategy to train and increase the level of participation in Para badminton, Massere Junior Beda didn’t disappoint.
» I was nervous in the beginning, but my coach talked to me, and I gained the confidence I needed. I thank the BCA and my federation for the training camp opportunity, which enabled me to play well. Our focus now shifts to our other games, and we are hoping to bag medals for our country.
« As the Secretary General of my local people living with disability association, I will also use the skills and experience gained in this tournament to create awareness of Para badminton in my region. Massere noted.
Ivory Coast went down gallantly 1-2 to Spain in their encounter.
The Uganda Badminton Association (UBA) is organizing the Uganda Para badminton for a record 5th time. UBA’s renown CEO, famously known as the ‘I eat badminton, I sleep badminton guy’ and the BCA Events Committee Chair, Mr. Simon Mugabi, has time and again proved that the sky is only the limit when it to comes organizing Para badminton in Africa.
» Since 2017, when we hosted the first Uganda Para badminton International which was the first International Para tournament in Africa, we have seen a remarkable improvement in the standards of hosting Para events in Africa. Badminton Confederation Africa has plans to train our other Member Associations to start hosting Para badminton events. The experience we have gained using Uganda as the Litmus paper is enough to guide the rest of Africa towards hosting successful Para badminton tournaments.” Mugabi says
Under the guidance of the newly elected President, Annet Nakamya, UBA has also scaled the heights of corporate sponsorship for its events.
« Our secret is to always strive to improve our product and to always maintain a good relationship with our partners. As a federation, we have enjoyed a good relationship with the Government and our National Sports Council, which has borne fruits ». Nakamya who became president in 2021 emphasized.
UBA is set to host Africa’s second continental Para badminton Championships from the 20th of Sept 2022 after the 2018 edition.
Check out the link below for comprehensive results:
Uganda Para Badminton International 2022 | BWF Para-Badminton (tournamentsoftware.com)
