Uganda International Series set for a thrilling climax

The Uganda International Series 2026 reaches its climax today at Lugogo Indoor Stadium, with five finals on the programme promising a competitive and entertaining finish to four days of international badminton.

The Saturday knockout stages delivered plenty of drama, with several quarterfinals going down to deciding games and the semifinals producing some closely fought battles.

Uganda’s players were heavily involved in the quarterfinals, but by the end of the day, Muzafaru Lubega and Gladys Mbabazi remained the country’s only representatives in the finals. Uganda entered the quarterfinal stage with 18 players across four events. 

The men’s singles quarterfinals immediately set the tone. Myanmar’s top seed Hein Htut comfortably defeated South Africa’s Caden Kakora 21-12, 21-6, while India’s Abhishek Kanapala had to fight back after losing the opening game to Sri Lanka’s Aashinsa Herath before winning 16-21, 21-12, 21-8.

Manav Choudhary also advanced in straight games against Iran’s third seed Ali Hayati, while Nigeria’s Victor Ikechukwu produced another convincing 21-7, 21-8 victory over Algeria’s Mohamed Abderrahime Belarbi.

Uganda’s women’s singles challenge also came under serious pressure. Top seed Fadilah Shamika defeated India’s Akshita Manral 21-15, 21-18, while Tracy Naluwooza beat Ishita Negi 21-11, 21-18. However, Kruthum Nalumansi and Gladys Mbabazi were stopped by Aesha Gandhi and Yasmina Chibah, respectively.

The doubles quarterfinals were equally demanding. Uganda’s Emmanuel Kirabo and Joseph Ssonko, and Muzafaru Lubega and Reagan Nsubuga, were eliminated in men’s doubles, while the women’s doubles featured several all-Ugandan battles that guaranteed home representation in the next round.

The semifinals raised the intensity further. Hein Htut had to recover from losing the opening game against Kanapala before winning 16-21, 21-14, 21-10. Ali Hayati also survived a three-game battle with Victor Ikechukwu, winning 21-15, 14-21, 21-19.

In the women’s singles, Akshita Manral overturned an opening-game loss to Ishita Negi to win 16-21, 21-16, 21-10. Aesha Gandhi, meanwhile, ended Uganda’s singles hopes by defeating second seed Gladys Mbabazi 21-9, 21-13.

The biggest Ugandan story remains the mixed doubles. Top seeds Muzafaru Lubega and Gladys Mbabazi negotiated another tough test in the semifinals, beating Algeria’s Mohamed Abdelaziz Ouchefoun and Linda Mazri 21-19, 21-19. Their reward is a place in today’s final against Malaysia’s Hafiz Hakimi Hashim and Lim Xuan.

It is a repeat of the mixed doubles final from last week’s Kampala International Future Series, when Lubega and Mbabazi faced the same Malaysian combination. The Ugandans took silver on that occasion after Hashim and Lim won 21-12, 21-13.

That makes today’s encounter particularly intriguing. Lubega and Mbabazi have another opportunity to turn last week’s silver into gold, while Hashim and Lim return knowing they have already beaten the Ugandan pair in a championship match.

Spectators at Lugogo will have five finals to look forward to, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Women’s Singles
Akshita Manral (India) vs Aesha Gandhi (India) — an all-Indian final after both players survived demanding semifinal tests.

Men’s Doubles
Hafiz Hakimi Hashim/Meng Fong Wong (Malaysia) vs Manav Choudhary/Himanshu Tiwari (India) — a clash between two pairs that came through competitive semifinal contests.

Men’s Singles
Hein Htut (Myanmar) vs Ali Hayati (Iran) — the top seed faces the third seed after both survived three-game semifinal battles.

Women’s Doubles
Sonali Singh/Ritika Thaker vs Akshita Manral/Ishita Negi, another all-Indian showdown that brings together players who have already featured prominently throughout the tournament.

Mixed Doubles
Muzafaru Lubega/Gladys Mbabazi (Uganda) vs Hafiz Hakimi Hashim/Lim Xuan (Malaysia) — the final match and arguably the most anticipated one for the home crowd.

With India represented in four of the five finals and Uganda carrying its hopes through Lubega and Mbabazi, the closing day has the ingredients for high-quality badminton across every court.

The Uganda International Series has already delivered closely fought games, comebacks and strong international competition. Today, Lugogo gets its final act, and the five championship matches promise to provide a fitting, entertaining finish.

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