CAIRO — Egyptian shuttler Adham Hatem delivered a masterclass performance to capture the gold medal at the African Badminton Championship in Botswana, held from February 9 to 15.
Hatem secured the top podium spot after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mauritius’ Jean Bernard in the men’s singles final.
The Egyptian Pharaoh’s path to the title was a showcase of precision and resilience. He kicked off his campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory against the Lesotho champion in the round of 64, followed by another straight-sets victory over the South African champion in the round of 32.
The 28-year-old continued his dominant run with a 2-0 triumph against Uganda’s top player in the round of 16.
A grueling quarter-final test against Algeria’s champion saw Hatem prevails 2-1, before he breezed past Mauritius in the semi-finals 2-0 to book his place in the final.
Gohar Nabil, Minister of Youth and Sports, extended congratulations to the Egyptian Badminton Federation and the national delegation, praising the team’s stellar performances across the tournament.
Egypt’s campaign in Botswana was a showcase of depth and teamwork. Alongside Hatem’s men’s singles gold, the women’s team captured silver in the team event through the efforts of Doha Hany, Nour Yousry, Hana Zaher, Fatma Rabie, Malaika Hassan, and Jana El-Waziry.
Hany and Yousry also clinched silver in women’s doubles.
The men’s team added a bronze medal to Egypt’s haul in the team competition, featuring Hatem, Mohamed Kamel, Karim Ezzat, Abdelrahman Magdy, Ahmed El-Bahnasawy and Saif Amr.
Additional podium finishes included bronze for Nour Yousry in women’s singles, bronze in mixed doubles for Hatem and Hany, and bronze in men’s doubles for Ezzat and El-Bahnasawy.
With a rich collection of medals, Egypt’s performance in Botswana reinforces its dominance in African badminton, spotlighting a new generation of athletes ready to leave their mark on the continental stage.
