Badminton: Fadilah, Naluwooza pair settle for 7th place | 2022 ISF Gymnasiade

2022 ISF Gymnasiade Games:

Badminton (Double Females):

Gold: France (Thea Marguerite & Camille Pognante)

Silver: Ukraine (Frolova Varvara & Sofiia Lavrova)

Uganda’s female Badminton pairing of Rafi Mohammad Shamika Fadilah and Tracy Justine Naluwooza settled for 7^th place at the 19^th edition of the ISF Gymnasiade Games in Normandy, France.

Fadilah and Naluwooza had bowed out at the quarter final stage to Ukraine’s Frolova Varvara and Sofiia Lavrova 2-0 (21-09 and 21-10).

The Ugandan female pair then recovered from a set down to beat UAE’s Alexander Irene Elsa and Rajith Rinitha 2-1 (9-21, 21-18 and 21-12).

At the next hurdle, they fell to the Indian duo of Nandakumar Prerana and Sanjay Hashini 2-0 (21-10, 21-12).

Frolova and Lavrova edged United Arab Emirates’ Desai Nidhi Shailendra and Rajesh Nayonika 2-1 (21-16, 20-22 and 21-11) to qualify for the final against the winning French pair of Thea Marguerite and Camille Pognante.

Marguerite and Pognante won the women double final 2-0 (21-13 and 21-14) to take the treasured gold medal.

Naluwooza admits the learning curve after participating in such an international tournament continues in her career.

“Personally, I have picked important lessons from this tournament. From the preparations, game approach and management, there have been key lessons learnt from the ISF Games in France” Naluwooza told Kawowo Sports.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s male pairing of Abedi Musa Bukenya and Paul Makande Muwonge was also stopped at the quarter final stage.

In total, team Uganda won seven medals (2 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze).

Ironically, all these medals came in one sport; athletics.

Uganda’s delegation of over 70 officials will return home on Monday afternoon aboard Ethiopian Airlines.