Uganda’s table tennis players Joseph Sebatindira and Jemimah Nakawala delivered a strong showing at the African Youth Games in Angola, winning bronze medals in both the singles and team events.
Sebatindira enjoyed an impressive run in the men’s singles. He topped his group after defeating Mauritius 3-1 and Benin 3-0, before receiving a bye in the Round of 32. He continued his fine form with a dominant 3-0 victory over Burundi’s Dusabe in the Round of 16 and a hard-fought 4-2 win against Chad’s Putola in the quarterfinals. His campaign came to an end in the semifinals following a 4-1 loss to Tunisia’s Youssef Aidli. Sebatindira later narrowly lost the bronze position match 3-2 to Nigeria’s Fabunmi Mathew, officially finishing joint third.
Nakawala also impressed in the women’s singles. After navigating the early stages with byes in the Round of 32 and Round of 16, she stormed into the semifinals with a commanding 4-0 win over Rwanda in the quarterfinals. She was stopped by Egypt’s Yara Elbadawy in the semifinals but bounced back strongly, edging Algeria’s Morice Tania 3-2 in the position match to secure bronze and finish third overall.
In the team event, the Ugandan duo showcased excellent chemistry and composure. They opened their campaign with convincing 2-0 victories over South Africa and Malawi, with both Sebatindira and Nakawala winning their matches in straight games. Uganda then defeated Kenya 2-0 in the quarterfinals before falling 2-0 to Egypt in the semifinals, earning another bronze medal to cap off an impressive tournament.
