Eleven Ugandans Set for Men’s Round of 32 at Kampala International Future Series

Uganda will have 11 representatives in the men’s Round of 32 at the Kampala International Future Series, which gets underway on Friday, September 25, at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.

Uganda has the largest representation in the men’s main draw, with the country initially having 10 players before Rahim Nsubuga secured the 11th and final Ugandan place through the qualifiers.

The tournament kicked off on September 24 with the qualifiers for the main draw, where Uganda struggled, with only Rahim Nsubuga managing to progress.

The other seven qualifying slots were claimed by players from India, Malaysia and Nigeria. India secured two slots, Malaysia took one, while Nigeria claimed four of the eight available places.

India is represented by six players in the men’s main draw, while Nigeria has five. Malaysia, Algeria, South Africa, Iran, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and France are also represented at this stage.

A total of 137 players from 14 countries are participating in the tournament across the men’s singles, women’s singles, mixed doubles, women’s doubles and men’s doubles events.

The participating countries include Algeria, India, Malaysia, Iran, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Nepal, Uganda, Sri Lanka and France, among others.

Uganda has the largest contingent from a single nation, with 56 players competing as they seek to improve on last year’s performance, when seven Ugandan players won bronze medals.

Fadilah Shamika Rafi remains the player expected to lead Uganda’s medal charge, given her status as the African women’s top seed. Fadilah is also targeting valuable ranking points towards the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Kampala International Badminton Future Series will conclude on Sunday, September 27. All semifinalists are guaranteed bronze medals, while the finalists will settle for silver and the winners will claim gold.