Lugogo Indoor Arena has transformed once again into a high-stakes continental and international badminton battleground, as fourteen nations converge on the Ugandan capital, sending 115 elite athletes for the Uganda International Series 2026, running from October 1 to 4.

The premier event comes hot on the heels of the recently concluded Kampala International Future Series, keeping local and visiting players locked in intense competition as they chase crucial ranking points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

As the host nation, Uganda fields the largest contingent of the tournament with 67 players, eager to capitalise on home turf. Meanwhile, a diverse and formidable international field has arrived, featuring representation from Algeria, India, Malaysia, Nigeria, Iran, South Africa, Bangladesh, Luxembourg, Germany, Myanmar, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Among the visiting delegations, the Badminton Association of India commands the largest foreign presence with 16 players. They are followed by the Badminton Association of Malaysia with eight athletes and the Algerian Badminton Association with six. 

The Badminton Federation of Nigeria contributes four players, while the Badminton Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Bangladesh Badminton Federation, Federation Luxembourgeoise de Badminton, and Myanmar Badminton Federation have each dispatched two competitors. 

Adding further flavour to the four-day showcase are representatives from Badminton South Africa, the German Badminton Association, the National Olympic Committee Kenya, the Nepal Badminton Association, and the Sri Lanka Badminton Association, rounding out the total field of 115 athletes.

For the host nation, the tournament serves as a prime opportunity to build upon its impressive outing at the 2025 Uganda International Badminton Series, which was also staged at the Lugogo venue.

Last year, the Ugandan squad collected six medals, highlighted by a hard-fought silver in the women’s doubles, where Fadilah Shamika Mohamed Rafi and Tracy Naluwooza carried Uganda’s strongest challenge to the final before falling 2-0 to Switzerland’s Jenjira Stadelmann and Leila Zarrouk. 

Uganda also secured valuable bronze medals through Husna Kobugabe, Muzafaru Lubega, Meble Namakoye, and Shamsa Mbira across their respective doubles categories.

With another world-class field now descending on Lugogo, Uganda’s 67-player contingent faces mounting pressure to convert home advantage into another substantial medal haul.

Beyond domestic pride, however, the stakes are global. For all 115 athletes stepping onto the court this week, every match represents a critical stepping stone on the relentless road to Los Angeles 2028.

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The Kampala International Future Series 2026 delivered four days of competitive badminton, with India emerging as the dominant force and Uganda making its mark with four bronze medals and one silver medal across the five categories.

Held in Kampala from 24 to 27 September 2026, the tournament featured the men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.

India enjoyed a remarkable tournament, winning four of the five titles on offer.

In the Women’s Doubles, Sonali Singh and Ritika Thaker claimed the title after beating compatriots Akshita Manral and Ishita Negi in the final. The Indian pair won 21-16, 21-17.

India completed another all-Indian final in the Men’s Doubles, where Abhyuday Choudhary and Ayush Makhija defeated Manav Choudhary and Himanshu Tiwari in a three-game battle, 21-8, 18-21, 23-21.

The Women’s Singles title also went to India, with Ishita Negi overcoming Akshita Manral 21-10, 21-15 in another all-Indian final.

In the Men’s Singles, Abhishek Kanapala defeated compatriot Tanmoy Bikash Boruah 22-20, 21-11 to complete India’s dominance in the singles events.

Uganda’s biggest success came in the Mixed Doubles, where Muzafaru Lubega and Gladys Mbabazi reached the final and claimed the silver medal.

The Ugandan pair, seeded first, faced Malaysia’s Hafiz Hakimi Hashim and Lim Xuan in the championship match. The Malaysian combination won 21-12, 21-13 to take gold, leaving Lubega and Mbabazi with silver.

Despite missing out on the title, the result gave Uganda its highest finish of the tournament and placed a Ugandan combination directly in a championship match against international opposition.

Uganda also finished with four bronze-medal positions across the tournament.

In Women’s Doubles, Fadilah Shamika Mohamed Rafi and Tracy Naluwooza took bronze, sharing the third position with fellow Ugandans Gladys Mbabazi and Meble Namakoye.

The Men’s Doubles also produced a Ugandan bronze through Joshua Ekochu and Tendo Kizito Mukalazi. They shared third place with Kenya’s Edwin Akwanyi and Edwin Waitathu Njeri.

Uganda therefore finished the Kampala International Future Series with one silver and four bronze medals, giving the hosts a medal presence in three of the five disciplines.

The final medal picture underlined the strength of India’s contingent. Indian players occupied the top two positions in Women’s Singles, Men’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Men’s Doubles, while Uganda’s strongest challenge came in the Mixed Doubles.

The Kampala International Future Series therefore closed with India carrying the bulk of the gold, while Uganda showed its competitive depth through five podium finishes.

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