A Breakthrough Continental Campaign in Uganda

The Burkina Faso national badminton team returned from the African Air Badminton Championships in Uganda with a gold medal and 10 bronze medals, outperforming expectations across a 14-country field. Air Badminton, a outdoor variant of traditional indoor badminton designed to be played on sand surfaces, has been practiced in Burkina Faso for over a decade. Building on a lone bronze medal secured during the nation’s debut at the 2025 continental championships, the team significantly expanded its medal count at the latest tournament.

The standout performance came from the women’s doubles pair of Samiratou Maiga and Latifatou Belem, who captured the gold medal and earned the title of African champions. En équipe, nous sommes classés troisièmes. En double dames, nous avons remporté le trophée. L’autre équipe de double dames a remporté des médailles de bronze », stated Ouédraogo.

Overcoming Concrete Training Conditions Without a Coastline

Because Burkina Faso is a landlocked country without natural coastal beaches, athletes cannot routinely train on the sandy surfaces required for official Air Badminton competition. Instead, the team prepared for the international showcase by training on hard concrete platforms.

L’Air Badminton se joue sur des terrains sablonneux. Mais, n’étant pas un pays côtier, nous avons travaillé sur des plateaux bétonnés », explained Ouédraogo regarding the hurdles faced before arriving in Uganda.

Despite these surface adjustments and demanding travel schedules—athletes competed on the exact day of their arrival—the squad demonstrated considerable resilience. Ils ont joué le jour de leur arrivée, ce qui a fait baisser leurs performances », noted Yaméogo, while confirming that the ministry continues working to secure optimal preparation environments for future national teams.

Player Perspectives and Future Outlook

For competitors within the squad, the tournament validated years of domestic development. Rachidatou Bilgo, a multi-time national champion in Burkina Faso, secured a bronze medal in Uganda and highlighted the narrowing gap between her program and established continental competitors. « C’était notre deuxième participation. Notre niveau était serré avec celui des autres pays. Les autres participent depuis plusieurs années. Nous, c’était notre deuxième participation et nous avons pu ramener une médaille d’or. Malgré les conditions difficiles, nous avons pu remporter cette médaille d’or », reflected Bilgo.

Teammate Latifatou Belem echoed those sentiments regarding the collective effort required to get through a grueling tournament bracket against top-tier African nations. « On a joué par équipe et on a obtenu la médaille de bronze. En double dames, on a remporté la médaille d’or. Au début, la compétition n’était pas facile. Mais avec l’envie et la solidarité de nos coéquipiers, on s’en sommes sortis », added Belem.

With a third-place finish in the team standings, a continental championship trophy in women's doubles, and a total of 10 bronze medals, the Burkina Faso badminton federation aims to build on its newfound momentum heading into the next domestic and international sporting calendar.