Team Uganda continued its campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on Saturday, with rower Marcel Andrew Otim delivering a commendable performance in the men’s solo beach sprint time trial, while the Table Tennis mixed doubles pair of Joseph Sebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala exited the competition.
Swimming and rugby are set to begin their campaigns on Sunday, November 1, adding to Uganda’s action at the Games.
Otim battles Atlantic waves
The 17-year-old Marcel Andrew Otim made a promising start in the men’s solo Beach Sprint Rowing event at Saly Beach West, navigating the challenging Atlantic Ocean conditions to clock 3:24.00 in Time Trial 1.
Otim finished ahead of Great Britain’s Louie Walker and remained composed throughout the race despite the strong current, light winds and choppy waters.
Reflecting on his performance, Otim described the experience as enjoyable and expressed confidence heading into the next round.
“It was very fun. I had a great experience out on the water. It was a pretty strong current; however, I think I was able to fight through it pretty well, and I’m excited to see what comes next,” he said.
The opening time trial also allowed him to familiarise himself with the course ahead of his next challenge.
“Being able to go through the course at full speed has really helped me to see what to expect for tomorrow, conditions, and yeah,” Otim added.
Uganda’s rowing coach, Batenga Nassozi, was satisfied with the performance, considering the conditions, and confirmed that the team would make technical adjustments ahead of Time Trial 2.
“He did pretty well given the conditions,” Nassozi said, noting that the coastal rowing environment requires athletes to adapt to changing conditions.
The coach expressed optimism about the next time trial, with the team planning a few technical changes aimed at giving Otim an advantage as he pursues a place in the knockout rounds.
Otim will return to action on Sunday, November 1, for Time Trial 2, seeking to build on his opening performance and advance in the competition.
Table Tennis duo turn attention to singles
Uganda’s Joseph Sebatindira, 11, and Jemimah Nakawala, 16, bowed out of the Table Tennis mixed doubles after losing to Tunisia’s Youssef Aidli, 17, and Ela Saidi, 15, at the Dakar Expo Center on Saturday.
The Tunisian pair won 3-0 (11-5, 13-11, 11-6) in a contest in which the Ugandans showed resilience but could not convert their opportunities into a victory.
Sebatindira and Nakawala led by as many as two points in each game and pushed the second game beyond 10-10 before the Tunisians edged it 13-11.
Tunisia’s serving proved decisive, with Aidli and Saidi winning 19 points on their own delivery to secure the victory.
Despite the mixed doubles exit, the Ugandan pair will look to draw lessons from the experience and channel their focus towards the singles competition on Sunday.
Uganda will also have attention on swimming and rugby, which both begin their campaigns on Sunday, November 1.
With Otim returning to the water for his second time trial and the table tennis duo preparing for singles action, Sunday promises another important day for Team Uganda in Dakar.