It was hard luck for the Kenyan Para Badminton national team, who finished without a medal at the ongoing 2026 Bahrain Badminton World Federation (BWF) Para Badminton World Championships at the Isa Sports Complex in Riffa, Bahrain.
Speaking exclusively to Radio Generation from Bahrain on Thursday night after Kenya's final match, national team head coach Erick Ngumo lamented over fatigue and poor planning, but was still adamant that his objective still remains to help athletes qualify for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Los Angeles ( LA) in 2028.
"Despite the travel delays, late visa issue and going straight from the airport upon landing to the court of play and starting the tournament with jet lag, my players still managed to fight and win against tough opponents from Canada and Switzerland in the first rounds of the championships," Ngumo praised his charges
"Players like Caleb Omolo, Elizabeth Nabwire, Benson Nduva Mutiso, and Mary Nduku managed to get to the third round of the championship group, where they lost to world-seeded opponents from Japan and Indonesia in the singles."
Ngumo also missed one of his important arsenals, the multi talented Stency Neema who despite having a fixture in Bahrain, chose to travel to Dubai for the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, leaving her doubles partner Elizabeth Nabwire who was available, now in Limbo, hence her opponents being awarded walk overs.in that category.
The February 8-14th event saw Kenyans register mixed results that had no podium finish, with Caleb Omollo winning only a game and losing two in the Ms - Group B
(21-14,21-14)(13-21,8-21)(8-21,8-21).
Elizabeth Nabwire, Ws - group C, also won a game and lost two, (19-21,21-12,21-10),(1-21,2-21), (3-21,1-21), while the pair of Benson Mutiso and Mary Nduku won a game and lost two in the doubles Xd - group G, (21-1,21-13),(16-21,11-21), (12-21,7-21).
Anna Syombua, Ws - group,G lost both of her two games (2-21,3-21)(5-21,9-21), Corrine Mwaniga, Ws - group F lost three of her games (2-21,3-21)(8-21,8-21)(1-21,2-21), same as Mary Nduku, Ws - group E (8-21,8-21)(13-21,10-21)(5-21,6-21).
Stency Neema's absence meant that her doubles partner Elizabeth Nabwire's participation was null and void, a bitter pill to swallow for Ngumo who now has no choice, but to lead the team back to Kenya on Friday night with an immediate two months camp in place to prepare for The Czechia Para Badminton International 2026 scheduled for April 14–19 in Prague, a hopeful kick-start of the intended 2026 tournaments garnering of points that will see them through to the LA 2028 Paralympics Games.
