South Africa emerged the most successful nation at the Africa Air Badminton Championships 2024, winning four individual titles and finishing runners-up in the team event at the championships that was held in Mauritius (14-17 November 2024).
The team final saw South Africa fall narrowly to Uganda in the final. The team event was a round-robin group of five teams, with the pivotal tie proving to be Uganda versus South Africa.
South Africa had the lead (45-39) going into the last triples, but Uganda’s Owinyi Augustus, Kadoli Fredrick and Lubega Muzafwa helped their team edge their opponents at the finish line, taking the tie 60-58. With both teams winning their other ties (against Tunisia, Mauritius and Comoros), Uganda clinched the team championships with an all-win record.
It was the maiden competition for Team Comoros (in green)
However, South Africa bounced back in the individual events, winning four of the five titles at stake.
The men’s doubles final saw Cameron Mark Coetzer/Stefan Steyn beat Uganda’s Owinyi Augustus/Lubega Muzafwa in straight games, 9-7 9-5 9-7.
South Africa ran into Tunisia in the women’s doubles final, with Amy Leigh Ackerman/Deidre Laurens beating Khediri Elaa/Ben Ahmed Malek 9-3 9-7 9-7. They repeated that feat in the women’s triples too, with Johanna Danita Olivier joining Ackerman and Laurens in getting the better of Tunisia.
Team Uganda
In the mixed doubles, South Africa’s Johannes Christoffel Muller/Amy Leigh Ackerman won the title beating Mauritius’ Atish Lubah/Heshamee Luximee Khedoon 6-9 9-1 12-10 9-6.
The only individual title that did not go South Africa’s way was the men’s triples, which was won by Tamesh Dookhee, Giresh Kumar Rampersand and Atish Lubah for Mauritius, over Uganda in the final.
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