The shuttle is flying far beyond Kampala. From classrooms in Eastern Uganda to dusty school grounds and hard courts in the countryside, badminton is quietly building a new army of players, and Shuttle Time is at its heart.
What started as a BWF initiative to take badminton to the remotest corners of the world has grown into one of the sport’s most effective grassroots engines.
The frequent mention of “Shuttle Time” among sports fanatics is therefore no miracle. It is consistency creating magic.
And the numbers are beginning to tell the story. Badminton Uganda has now pushed into more than 30 districts, including Bugweri, Bugiri, Namutumba, Ngora, Pallisa, Padel, Katakwi, Kaberamaido, Karaki, Butebo, Mayuge, Rubirizi, Nakaseke, Iganga, Kaliro, Buyende and Kamuli, among others.
The expansion also fits neatly into the National Sports Act, which requires sports to go beyond traditional urban centres.
The law gives community and grassroots sports organisations a chance to register as formal entities, while amateur associations seeking national recognition must demonstrate an active presence in at least 50 per cent of Uganda’s districts.
Schools and higher learning institutions are also expected to promote sport and provide approved sporting activities to nurture talent, and Shuttle Time is helping badminton answer that call.
No indoor court? No problem
Badminton has another advantage: the sport can be played indoors, but its outdoor version, AirBadminton, has opened an even bigger door.
Many schools cannot afford or access indoor facilities. But almost every school has a patch of grass, sand or a hard surface.
That is enough, and that simple reality has helped badminton travel where other sports struggle to reach. The programme targets teachers, who are trained to take the game back to their schools. Each teacher comes with two students, creating a direct link between training and the next generation.
The teachers, however, are getting more than just coaching; some are learning the technical side of the game, while others are picking up officiating skills they hope to use when their students begin competing.
The bigger ambition is to make schools see badminton as a serious part of their sports programmes alongside USSSA and FEASSSA.
A sport for the overlooked
For students who cannot break into football, athletics or other heavily populated sports, badminton is providing another route. In the Eastern region, some schools admit they cannot match the likes of Bukedea Comprehensive School or Amus College in football.
So they are looking elsewhere, and Badminton offers that opening. Olok Seed Secondary School is among those hoping the racket and shuttle can deliver medals and national qualification.
For Senior Three student Daniel Omoding, the opportunity has already arrived. He had never played in the school competition before then Shuttle Time gave him a chance, and he took it.
Omoding competed in the previous USSSA event at Seroma Christian High School, performed well and now wants to continue. He is regarded as one of the players who could shape badminton’s near future because of his ability and love for the game adapted during the Shuttle Time visit to Pallisa.
Breaking barriers
The initiative is also proving that badminton can be truly inclusive. Para students have received walking sticks to ease their training and improve their participation.
Adeke of Bukedea Comprehensive School is one of the beneficiaries, alongside another student from Kaberamaido District.
At St Theresa SS Bukedea, Games Teacher Wilberforce Kamengo sees badminton as a lifeline for students with disabilities.
“It is an inclusive game. It involves all the disabled students, and in my school I have them. So when I go back, I’m going to impart; I’m going to make it interesting for those students who are disabled.”
“They don’t play football, they don’t run, but I’m going to make sure that they join the badminton club in the school.”
Martha Apio, a games teacher at Bukedea Comprehensive School, left the training convinced that badminton could take her school places.
“Well, I’ve learned so many things. We can spike, we can smash and so on. So I believe after this workshop, from today onwards, we shall find Bukedea Secondary School in the world, which is international.”
From players to officials
Badminton Uganda is now looking beyond simply producing players. The next target is building local officials capable of running competitions without constant federation intervention.
The Badminton Uganda CEO, Simon Mugabi, says the federation will return to districts where time was limited to strengthen technical knowledge.
“We shall be coming back later and then working on the technical aspect, where we have the umpires, the line judges, the referees, the match controller, so that they can also conduct their tournaments without our interference. And then, of course, covering other districts in the area, like Serere, Sironko, Soroti and onwards.”
The response has already exceeded expectations.
“We have found that the people have really loved badminton. They have liked it so much, and I hope that with their love, which they have shown, they are going to be able to see that they can impart our sport in this special land.”
That love could eventually produce more umpires. Badminton Uganda hopes the programme will one day produce an umpire who rises through the ranks to represent Uganda on the international stage, and that would be another Shuttle Time success story.