Kenya Airbadminton national team begun it’s campaign of the ongoing 2026 Africa AirBadminton Championships at Aero Beach in Entebbe , Uganda on Thursday 17th September, winning four out of five, in their doubles events, and on Friday winning four out of seven in the men doubles, mixed doubles and women doubles.
Speaking from Entebbe on Friday 17th September,2026, national men team captain Sammy Sikoyo was upbeat saying that the morale in camp is high, with their main objective being to finish and be ranked among the two best nations in the event, then qualify for the 2029 World games in Germany.
” We arrived here safe and sound, the weather is not all that bad even though it’s raining heavily, but we can cope with that,” Sikoyo told Sports Journalist Association ( SJAK) correspondent Shadrack Andenga on phone.
” We lost only one game against the host nation, just some tactical mishaps, but we will get them, I know we are better and came here to conquer Africa,” an optimistic Sikoyo continued.
On Thursday, Kenya’s charges who are coached by Brijesh Jagdish Sonigra, begun their doubbles campaign on the sandy court with Edwin Akwanyi and Yvonne Mwikali winning 3-1 against Burundi.
National team captain Sammy Sikoyo teamed up with Blessings Vuyanzi against a home advantaged Uganda, and lost 3-1, but women’s captain Jacinta Sengera and John Simiyu capitalized on Algeria’s defensive lapses to wipe the Kenyans tears in the third game by winning 3-1 against the north Africans.
The men’s captain teamed up with Edwin Akwanyi and this time round got his sweet revenge against the host nation, winning it by the buzzer, 3-2 against Uganda.
The pair , Sikoyo and Akwanyi were no match to their next opponents, their agility and tactical brilliance was too much to handle in their last match against Tunisia, as they demolished them 3-0, events that took place on day 1.
Kenya’s results sent them in the round of 32 on day 2, Friday at the same venue when Akwanyi and Mwikali teamed up in the mixed doubbles to win 3-1 against Burundi, Sikoyo and Vuyanzi lost 3-1 to Uganda and the Sengera/Simiyu combination was too hot handle for Algeria, the Kenyans winning 3-1.
Akwanyi and Mwikali stormed into the round of Round of 16, losing 3-0 to Burundi, and on Saturday , Sengera will team up with Simiyu against Burkinafaso.
In the Men Doubles Round of 32, Sikoyo and Akwanyi won 3-2 against Uganda, won 3-0 against Tunisia in the Round of 16 to qualify for the quarter finals against Benin, a match that will be played on Saturday, while Sengera and Vuyanzi lost 3-2 against Burkina Faso in the women’s category, doubbles , round of 32.
The tripples were played on Saturday as Kenya’s gaffer Sonigra had already paired Sikoyo, Akwanyi and Simiyu to play against Egypt, while Sengera, Vuyanzi and Mwikali were up against Benin in the other clash.
After that, there will be a training Camp on Sunday 20th, to run up to Tuesday , 22nd September, that has already been organized by the Badminton World Federation ( BWF), the Badminton Confederation of Africa ( BCA) and in close collaboration with the Uganda Badminton Association (UBA).
