The ISF games kicked off on Friday with various disciplines in action, following the official opening ceremony on Thursday in Manama, Bahrain.
Ugandan athletes participated in the initial battles of the seven-day championship, achieving mixed results in badminton, table tennis, tennis, swimming, and athletics. The basketball 3×3 competition will commence tomorrow.
In the girls’ table tennis team event, Uganda’s Team 2 secured a 6-2 victory over Saudi Arabia but suffered 6-0 defeats against both India and China. In the boys’ category, where Uganda fielded three teams, they ended the day without a win.
Kibuli table tennis player Samuel Mbabazi in action on Friday
However, there is optimism that the individual competitions starting on Monday will yield better results.
“We hope they will recover in the next stages of the event because the players in this competition are the same ones who have competed at the world junior championships. This exposure is beneficial as Team Uganda aims to elevate them to Olympic-level competitions in the near future,” said badminton coach Richard Muguluma.
Kibuli’s Enock Balyewunya takes on a USA opponent at the ISF Games
In badminton, which was also played as a team event with both boys and girls accumulating points for a win, Uganda defeated hosts Bahrain 75-25 but lost to both Ukraine and Chinese Taipei.
Due to the hot weather, athletics events were delayed until the evening. When they finally began at Manama National Stadium, favorite Brenda Chekwemoi boosted Uganda’s hopes for gold by winning her heat in the girls’ 800m to advance to the semifinals. However, Mary Awat did not progress after finishing 6th in the girls’ 100m.
Uganda table tennis coach Richard Muguluma gives tips to a player
Uganda is represented by six schools competing in five disciplines: badminton, swimming, tennis, table tennis, and basketball 3×3, in addition to athletics.
Under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain is hosting the games, which have attracted about 5,551 students from 80 school federations across 71 countries. The games will conclude on Thursday next week.
