South Africa Dominate Badminton at 2015 African Games
Brazzaville, Congo – South Africa emerged as the dominant force in badminton at the 2015 African Games, claiming six medals, including three golds, as the tournament wrapped up its final phase on Wednesday, September 9.
The Rainbow Nation topped the overall standings with standout performances across both singles and doubles events.
Andries Malan proved instrumental, clinching two gold medals—first in the men’s doubles alongside Willem Viljoen, and then in the mixed doubles with Jennifer Fry. South Africa’s third gold came via Jacob Maliekal, who triumphed in the men’s singles.
The team also earned three silver medals: one in the team event, another in the men’s singles with Prakash Vijayanath, and a third in the mixed doubles, where Viljoen paired with Michelle Butler-Emmett.
Mauritius finished second in the medal table with four medals, including two golds. The team gold came from the collective effort in the team competition, while Kate Foo Kune took the title in the women’s singles. She also secured a silver in the women’s doubles with Yeldy Marie Louison, while Nicki Chan-Lam contributed a bronze in the women’s singles.
Seychelles claimed third place with two medals. The duo of Juliette Ah-Wan and Allisen Camille struck gold in the women’s doubles, while Ah-Wan also partnered with Georgie Cupidon to win bronze in the mixed doubles.
Nigeria followed closely behind with five medals, but none of them were gold. Grace Gabriel led the Nigerian charge, earning a silver in the women’s singles, and a bronze in the women’s doubles with Braimoh Maria. Nigeria added three more bronzes in the men’s doubles, shared between Enejoh Abah & Victor Makanju, Jinkan Ifraimu Bulus & Ola Fagbemi, and Clement Krobakpo in the men’s singles.
Egypt secured three medals. Ali Ahmed El Khateeb and Abdelrahman won silver in the men’s doubles, while Hadia Hosny contributed bronze in both the women’s singles and mixed doubles (with Abdelrahman Kashkal).
Uganda earned a single medal thanks to Edwin Ekiring, who claimed bronze in the men’s singles.
Kenya also left with one medal, a bronze in the women’s doubles via Mercy Joseph and Lavina Martins.
Meanwhile, several nations left Brazzaville empty-handed. Botswana, Ghana, Algeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, and hosts Congo failed to register a single medal in badminton.
The 2015 edition reaffirmed South Africa’s regional dominance in the sport and highlighted rising talents across the continent, setting the stage for future continental and international showdowns.
