Uganda's Ekiring, Bangi target All Africa Games gold medals

Uganda's top badminton players Edwin Eking and Bridget Shamim Bangi have vowed to play their hearts out to win gold in the individual events of the 2015 All Africa Games.

Ekiring who is also Africa's top player told Xinhua on Monday that after settling for silver in the 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique, he is now determined to make a difference and win gold.

"I know it will not be easy because there are several good players from Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa who I must overcome if I am to win gold," said a determined Ekiring who plies his trade in the Netherlands.

Ekiring already won two singles games against Nigeria and Botswana in the team events before losing to his arch-rival and gold medal winner at the last Games Jacob Maliekal (South Africa) in the quarter finals.

Ekiring who is also eyeing a place in the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil said that having lost to Jacob in the team events makes the Games even trickier.

"It is good I lost in the team events and now I know what to do," he added.

Uganda's female top seed Bangi whose three weeks training in Denmark had helped her show good form to win all her three singles games in the team events told Xinhua that she is hungry to win a medal.

"After beating Africa's top player Gabriel Grace from Nigeria, I feel am now well motivated to win gold," said Bangi, a student in Ndejje University back in Uganda.

In the team events played on Saturday night, Mauritius beat South Africa 3-2 to win gold.

Besides badminton, Uganda is also fielding athletes in athletics, tennis, swimming, table tennis, cycling, weightlifting and Paralympics.

Although Uganda's women basketball had qualified from the Africa Zone 5 qualifiers, the team was dropped because of financial challenges. Endi