2025 Islamic Solidarity Games (Table Tennis):
Women’s Doubles:
Semifinals:
- Jemimah Nakawala & Judith Parvin Nangonzi (Uganda) 1-3 Shima Safaei & Neda Shahsavari (Iran)
Set scores: 11-9, 3-11, 2-11, 8-11
Quarterfinals:
- Jemimah Nakawala & Judith Parvin Nangonzi (Uganda) 3-2 Marziyya Nurmatova & Aylin Asgarova (Azerbaijan)
Set scores: 12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8
The Uganda women’s female doubles Table Tennis team won bronze at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday evening.
The buoyant pair of Jemimah Nakawala and Judith Parvin Nangonzi, both students at Kibuli Secondary School, etched their names in Uganda’s history books as the first Table Tennis team ever to win a medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
Despite falling 1-3 to the Iranian duo of Shima Safaei and Neda Shahsavari, Uganda is assured of the bronze among the two third-placed teams.
Nakawala and Nangonzi commenced the semi-final duel on a strong footing, winning the first game 11-9 on Table One at the Boulevard SEF Arena 01B.
They, however, faltered in the subsequent games, losing 3-11, 2-11 and 8-11 as the Iranians ran riot.
Uganda’s medal had been earlier confirmed following a hard-fought 3-2 win over Azerbaijan in the quarterfinals.
Nakawala and Nangonzi exhibited grit to edge the hard-fighting duo of Marziyya Nurmatoa and Alylin Asgarova (12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 11-9 and 11-8).
Head coach Alvin Katumba was left a satisfied party after the contest.
“The players have really worked so hard and I give them their flowers. We maintain the momentum to build these players,” Katumba stated.
Meanwhile, Uganda fumbled in the men’s doubles when Joseph Francis Sebatindira and Joshua Magaya lost 3-1 to Guyana opposition Bryan Anthony Nigel and Ronaldo Britton Shemar.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s Nakawala fell to Egyptian Yousra Ashraf Abdelrazek 1-4 in the quarter finals.
Nakawala led the opening game 11-7 before succumbing in the subsequent four sets 7-11, 9-11, 3-11 and 6-11.
By Wednesday evening, Uganda had won six medals so far in Swimming (4) and one apiece from Table Tennis and Boxing.
Anna Gloria Muzito (Oly) won three medals (2 gold and a bronze) with another swimmer, Jesse Ssubbi Ssengonzi, taking the other.
Boxer Alfred Ojok and the Table Tennis duo of Nangonzi, as well as Nakawala, won bronze.