Uganda’s young badminton and table tennis players gained valuable experience at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, with Ramiah Bukenya, Joseph Sebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala showing determination in their opening singles matches.
Bukenya Learns From Olympic Badminton Debut
Ramiah Bukenya got her first taste of Olympic badminton at the Dakar Arena, facing fourth seed Micah Cruz of the United States in the women’s singles.
Despite a difficult start, Bukenya showed improvement as the match progressed, eventually falling 21-1, 21-5 in 20 minutes.
The Ugandan settled into the contest in the second game, scoring five points and engaging Cruz in longer rallies. The longest exchange lasted 35 seconds and featured 27 strokes, demonstrating Bukenya’s ability to stay in the contest against a highly ranked opponent.
For Bukenya, the match was an opportunity to test herself against an international competitor with considerable experience.
Speaking after the match, she acknowledged the challenge while remaining positive about the experience.
“It was a tough match, but it was a great opportunity to play someone like her. She is a good player who has been winning international tournaments. I did my best, and tomorrow I hope to improve on my mistakes and work on my game,” she said.
Bukenya returns to action on Monday against Great Britain’s 16-year-old Rajvi Parab in her next women’s singles preliminary group stage match, hoping to apply the lessons from her Olympic debut and deliver a stronger performance.
Sebatindira, Nakawala show fighting spirit
In Table Tennis, Joseph Sebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala also displayed resilience in their singles matches at the Dakar Expo Center, a day after pushing Tunisia hard in the mixed doubles.
Both Ugandans won a game against their Polish opponents but ultimately suffered 3-1 defeats.
Sebatindira, 11, the youngest athlete at the Games, faced Patryk Zyworonek. The young Ugandan lost the opening two games 11-4 and 11-7 before responding with an 11-6 victory in the third. However, Zyworonek recovered to win the fourth game 11-4 and seal the match.
Despite the defeat, Sebatindira showed his ability to respond under pressure and will look to build on that performance when he faces Romania’s 17-year-old Robert Istrate in his second preliminary men’s group stage match on Monday.
Nakawala, 16, produced a similarly determined display against Poland’s Katarzyna Rajkowska. After losing the opening game 11-5, Nakawala fought back in a closely contested second game, winning 12-10 after deuce to level the match.
However, Rajkowska took control in the final two games, winning 11-0, 11-0 to secure a 3-1 victory.
Nakawala’s performance included a 15-stroke rally, highlighting her ability to engage in extended exchanges against her opponent. She now turns her attention to her next challenge against India’s 17-year-old Syndrela Das on Monday, with an opportunity to put the lessons from her opening match into practice.
Although Sunday’s results did not go Uganda’s way, the three athletes gained valuable exposure against experienced opponents on the international stage.
Bukenya will seek improvement against Parab, while Sebatindira and Nakawala aim to bounce back in their respective table tennis matches as Team Uganda continues its campaign at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.