Elizabeth Mwesigwa

Last updated

Elizabeth Mwesigwa
Personal information
CountryFlag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
Born (1992-03-10) 10 March 1992 (age 32)
Iganga District, Uganda
Women's singles SL3
Women's doubles SL3–SU5
Mixed doubles SL3–SU5
Highest ranking11 (WS 1 January 2019)
15 (WD with Ritah Asiimwe 3 October 2022)
20 (XD with Hassan Mubiru 8 November 2022)
Current ranking12 (WS)
15 (WD with Ritah Asiimwe)
20 (XD with Hassan Mubiru) (15 November 2022)
Medal record
Women's para-badminton
Representing Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda
African Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Kampala Women's singles
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Kampala Women's doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2018 Kampala Women's singles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Kampala Women's doubles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2022 Kampala Mixed doubles
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Kampala Women's singles

Elizabeth Mwesigwa (born 10 March 1992) is a Ugandan para-badminton player and she is ranked as the country's number one in the SL3 category. She won a gold medal at Uganda's para-badminton international in 2018. As of February 2020, she is ranked 12 worldwide in the Women's para-badminton SL3 Category by the Badminton World Federation. [1]

Contents

Background and education

Mwesigwa was born as the first of six children of Godfrey Kakaire, in Naigobya, Iganga District. [2] She was born with a congenital defect that created an impairment of both legs below the knees. After undergoing an operation for her limbs in Tororo, Mwesigwa returned to Iganga and was enrolled at Iganga Infants School then Pride Academy Iganga which she left in 2009 after completing her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). [2] [3] In 2010, she moved to Kampala and joined Naguru High School but dropped out in 2011 in her first term of Senior Two. [2]

She later supported herself as a hawker before relocating to Kigali, Rwanda in 2012. [3]

Sports

In 2013, Mwesigwa was introduced to sports through basketball during her stay in Kigali, Rwanda. [2] On her return to Kampala in 2015, she featured in a number of wheelchair basketball games before attending a week-long training course with Richard Morris, an English para-badminton coach. [2] She took up para-badminton, training through 2015 and 2016, and eventually featuring in her first tournament (Uganda Para-badminton International) in 2017 and winning a gold medal.

In 2018, Mwesigwa won a gold in the African Para-Badminton Championships held in Kampala, Uganda after beating Nigeria's Gift Ijeoma Chukwuemeka in the Women's SL3 final. [4]

In 2019, she again represented Uganda at the second Fazza-Dubai Para-Badminton International.

Qualification for Olympics

In 2019, Mwesigwa was part of a 5-person Ugandan contingent that played at the TOTAL BWF Para-badminton World Championships that were held in Basel, Switzerland. [5] [6] She featured in the Women's SL3 Group B, the Women's SL3 – SU5 doubles (partnered with Asha Kipwene Munene) and also in the mixed doubles where she partnered with Paddy Kasirye. [7]

Members of the Parliament of Uganda had earlier resolved to contribute USD 10,000 that was to help her participate in tournaments in Thailand, France, Australia and Japan that would then help her gain points to qualify for the 2020 Paralympics. [8] [9]

Awards and recognition

In 2019, Mwesigwa was named Tigress Honoree by the Malengo Foundation in recognition of her being Uganda's gold medal winner at the Para-African Badminton championships of 2018. [10]

Achievements

African Championships

Women's singles

YearVenueOpponentScoreResult
2018 [a] Lugogo Indoor Stadium, Kampala, Uganda Flag of Uganda.svg Rose Nansereko 21–11, 21–12 Med 2.png Silver
Flag of Ghana.svg Naomi Sarpong 21–16, 21–6
Flag of Nigeria.svg Gift Ijeoma Chukwuemeka 7–21, 18–21
2022Lugogo Indoor Stadium, Kampala, Uganda Flag of Uganda.svg Rose Nansereko21–9, 22–20 Med 1.png Gold
2023Lugogo Indoor Stadium, Kampala, Uganda Flag of Nigeria.svg Mariam Eniola Bolaji 9–21, 4–21 Med 2.png Silver

Women's doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2022Lugogo Indoor Stadium,
Kampala, Uganda		 Flag of Uganda.svg Ritah Asiimwe Flag of Uganda.svg Sumini Mutesi
Flag of Uganda.svg Rose Nansereko 		21–11, 21–16 Med 1.png Gold
2023Lugogo Indoor Stadium,
Kampala, Uganda		 Flag of Uganda.svg Ritah Asiimwe Flag of Nigeria.svg Mariam Eniola Bolaji
Flag of Nigeria.svg Chinyere Lucky Okoro 		10–21, 7–21 Med 2.png Silver

Mixed doubles

YearVenuePartnerOpponentScoreResult
2022Lugogo Indoor Stadium,
Kampala, Uganda		 Flag of Uganda.svg Hassan Mubiru Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg Prince Mamvumvu-Kidila
Flag of Zambia.svg Martha Chewe 		21–12, 7–21, 9–21 Med 3.png Bronze

BWF Para Badminton World Circuit (1 runner-up)

The BWF Para Badminton World Circuit – Grade 2, Level 1, 2 and 3 tournaments has been sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation from 2022. [11] [12]

Women's singles

YearTournamentLevelOpponentScoreResult
2022Uganda Para Badminton InternationalLevel 3 Flag of India.svg Charanjeet Kaur 8–21, 9–21Silver medal icon.svgRunner-up

International Tournaments (1 title)

Men's doubles

YearTournamentPartnerOpponentScoreResult
2018 [b] Uganda Para Badminton International Flag of Scotland.svg Mary Margaret Wilson Flag of Ghana.svg Zinabu Issah
Flag of Ghana.svg Naomi Sarpong 		21–4, 21–7Gold medal icon.svgWinner
Flag of Cameroon.svg Cristance Moffouo
Flag of Cameroon.svg Jacqueline Carole Ntsama 		21–5, 21–5
Flag of Nigeria.svg Gift Ijeoma Chukwuemeka
Flag of Nigeria.svg Chinyere Lucky Okoro 		21–12, 21–11
Flag of Uganda.svg Khadija Khamuka
Flag of Uganda.svg Rose Nansereko 		21–19, 21–5

See also

References

  1. ↑ Badminton World Federation (25 February 2020). "BWF World Rankings for Para-Badminton (2/25/2020)". Badminton World Federation. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Elizabeth Mwesigwa: Overcoming disability to excel in". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 admin (13 May 2019). "Mwesigwa defied disability to become national champ". Good News Paper. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "BWF Para-Badminton – African Para-Badminton Championships 2018 – Players – Elizabeth Mwesigwa". bwfpara.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Para-badminton World Championships 2019". www.badmintonuganda.org. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Uganda Para-Badminton Players Strive for Paralympics Despite Limitations – Botswana Online News". Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Uganda on the rise in Para Badminton". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  8. ↑ gmkatamba (27 July 2018). "Parliament donates US$10,000 to Paralympics star". www.parliament.go.ug. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  9. ↑ Nakatudde, Olive. "MPs Donate UGX 43m To Para- Badminton Star Mwesigwa". Uganda Radio Network. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Malengo Foundation recognises exceptional women with disabilities". PML Daily. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  11. ↑ "Para Badminton Tournament Structure Bids for Tournaments 2022 Onwards". Badminton World Federation . 29 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "BWF Para Tournamentsoftware". Badminton World Federation . 11 July 2022.

Notes

  1. ↑ This tournament uses a round robin system.
  2. ↑ This tournament uses a round robin system.
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