KAMPALA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Uganda's Fadilah Shamika Mohamed Rafi is among two African women's singles players to have qualified for the 2026 BWF World Championships.
Fresh from winning the All-Africa Senior Women's singles title, Shamika secured a place at the event this August in New Delhi, India.
Shamika, currently ranked No. 1 in Africa and 105th in the world, will compete in the women's singles draw. Egypt's Nour Youssri, Africa's second-ranked women's singles player, also qualified for the tournament.
"I am very glad that I have qualified for the BWF World Championship which brings together the top players from all over the world. This dream has come true because of the hard work which saw me perform well in several tournaments and also winning the African title," Shamika said on Tuesday.
The two Africans are expected to face strong competition from leading international contenders, including world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea and China's Chen Yufei and Wang Zhiyi.
Simon Mugabi, executive director of the Uganda Badminton Association, said Shamika's qualification was a major achievement for both the athlete and the country.
"It is because of hard work that Shamika has managed to qualify for the event. She will carry the Ugandan flag high, and we wish her all the best of luck," Mugabi said.
Elsewhere, South African pair Amy Ackerman and Johanita Scholtz qualified for the women's doubles event, while Egypt's Adham Hatem secured a place in the men's singles.
Algeria's Koceila Mammeri will compete in two events - partnering Youcef Sabri in the men's doubles and teaming up with his younger sister, Tania Mammeri, in the mixed doubles. ■
