Ugandan players got a rude welcome to the Africa Senior Table Tennis Championship in Tunisia since Monday, especially in the men’s and women’s singles but eventually grabbed a historic bronze medal after beating South Africa in the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles Tuesday night.
Jemimah Nakawala and Parvin Nangonzi were the heroes in this unlikely victory which was last seen nearly 30 years ago.
The duo came from a 2-1 defeat to eventually beat Danisha Patel and Rochica Sonday 3-2 in a tense encounter.
‘I’m lost for words. I promised 45 million Ugandans that the team shall win a crucial medal, but I didn’t expect this one,’ said Coach Paul Mutambuze. ‘Doubles have been a big problem for us and we hadn’t won a medal in over a quarter of a century. So it’s really amazing. It was a tough game but the girls managed to come from behind to win.’
If the Kibuli Secondary School teenagers had golden dreams, they were shattered by the overly experienced and older Egyptian twins Mariam and Marwa Alhodaby 3-1 in the semifinal.
The semifinal came two hours after Mariam Alhodaby had defeated Nangonzi in the women’s singles Round of 16 match 4-0. Nangonzi was the only Ugandan of six to reach this stage in the singles.
Jonathan Senyonga beat one and lost in the round of 32, Judith Mirembe lost to Angola’s Isabel Albino in the Round of 64, same story with David Odi against Benin’s Abdel-Kader Salifou, among others.
Now Nangonzi must turn her focus to the team events starting today. Uganda plays DR Congo and familiar foes Madagascar in Group 4 before closing the day against South Africa.
Here the focus will be retaining the bronze medal they got from Addis Ababa last year, or better it.
UGANDA’S SELECT RESULTS
WOMEN’S DOUBLES QUARTERS
Nakawala and Nangonzi 3:2 Patel and Sonday
Mariam and Marwa Alhodaby 3-1 Nakawala and Nangonzi
MEN’S SINGLES R64
Senyonga 4:0 Amgad Mahrous
WOMEN’S SINGLES R64
Nakawala 4:3 Edena Prevot
WOMEN’S SINGLES R32
Nangonzi 4-1 Kailane Sousa
WOMEN’S SINGLES R16
Mariam Alhodaby 4-0 Nangonzi