Edwin Ekiring

Edwin Ekiring (born 22 December 1983)[1] is a Ugandan badminton player, nicknamed "The Black Pearl".[1] He is 1.83 metres (6 ft 0 in) tall and weighs 65 kilograms (143 lb).[1]

Edwin Ekiring
Personal information
Nickname(s)Eki
CountryUganda
Born (1983-12-22) 22 December 1983
Nsambya, Uganda
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Years active2006–
HandednessRight
Men's singles
Highest ranking76 (26 November 2015)
Medal record
Men's badminton
Representing  Uganda
All-Africa Games
2011 Maputo Men's singles
2007 Algiers Men's singles
2015 Brazzaville Men's singles
African Championships
2011 Marrakesh Men's singles
2007 Rose Hill Men's singles
BWF profile

At the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, Ekiring competed in the men's singles as well as the mixed team event. In the singles he was defeated in the first round, 17–21, 17–21 by Sri Lankan Dinuka Karunaratne.[2] In Pool B of the mixed team event he won singles matches in fixtures against Jamaica and Kenya but lost matches to players from Australia and New Zealand. Playing with Abraham Wogute, he lost team doubles matches against Jamaica, Australia and New Zealand but beat the pair from Kenya as Uganda were eliminated from the competition at the pool stage.[2] Ekiring then represented Uganda at the 2007 All-Africa Games and achieved bronze, the country's first medal in badminton in the history of the games.[3]

Ekiring competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, after being given a wildcard into the men's singles by the International Badminton Federation.[4] He was the first badminton player to represent Uganda at the Olympics.[4] He received a bye into the second round of the competition before losing 5–21, 8–21 to Park Sung-hwan of South Korea.[1]

In 2009, Edwin Ekiring was involved in a serious road accident while cycling home from training in the Netherlands that left him with a fractured arm, ribs, ankle and right knee and doctors writing off his chances of ever playing sport again. The 28-year-old spiralled into a deep depression and feared he may never play badminton again but remarkably just eight months later he was back on court.[5]

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, Ekiring reached the round of 16 in the men's singles event; he beat Sharafuddin Nasheeu of Maldives in the first round before losing two games to nil to Yong Zhao Ashton Chen of Singapore.[6] In the men's doubles he competed with Abraham Wogute; the Ugandan duo beat a team from Seychelles in the first round before being eliminated by a pair from Singapore in the round of 16.[6]

In 2012 Ekiring made it to the quarterfinals of the OCBC US Open. He beat Chetan Anand 21–16, 21–12 in the round of 16 before losing to number one seed Takuma Ueda from Japan 13–21, 12–21.[7]

Ekiring was selected to compete for Uganda at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's singles after qualifying based on his world ranking.[8] He did not make it past the group stages.[1] At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, he reached the second round, where he was defeated by R. V. Gurusaidutt, the eventual bronze medal winner.[9] He also took part in the men's doubles and mixed team events.[10]

He was one of the 14 players selected for the Road to Rio Program, a program that aimed to help African badminton players to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games.

He competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.[11]

Badminton experience
  • 2-Olympic Games 2008 Beijing, China and 2012 London, United Kingdom
  • 2004–2008 Olympic Training Centre in Saarbrucken, Germany.
  • 2007–2008 Luxembourg
  • 2008–2009 Velo-Wateringen, The Hague, The Netherlands.
  • 2009–2012 BC Amersfoort, Amersfoort, the Netherlands, Eredivisie.
  • 2012–2013 Solingen, Germany, 2nd Bundesliga
  • 2013–2017 BC Amersfoort, Amersfoort, the Netherlands, Eredivisie.

Achievements

All-Africa Games

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2015 Gymnase Étienne Mongha, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo Prakash Vijayanath 15–21, 20–22 Bronze
2011 Escola Josina Machel, Maputo, Mozambique Jacob Maliekal 15–21, 14–21 Silver
2007 Salle OMS El Biar, Algiers, Algeria Eli Mambwe Bronze

African Championships

Men's singles

Year Venue Opponent Score Result
2011 Marrakesh, Morocco Jinkam Ifraimu 19–21, 20–22 Bronze
2007 Rose Hill, Mauritius Nabil Lasmari 12–21, 17–21 Bronze

BWF International Challenge/Series (7 titles, 7 runners-up)

Men's singles

Year Tournament Opponent in final Score Result
2017 Uganda International Georges Julien Paul 19–21, 11–7 (retired) Runner-up
2016 Ivory Coast International Gideon Babalola 21–13, 12–21, 21–10 Winner
2015 Morocco International Pedro Martins 14–21, 12–21 Runner-up
2015 Egypt International Alen Roj 20–22, 25–23, 21–18 Winner
2015 Uganda International Jacob Maliekal 8–21, 21–18, 10–21 Runner-up
2014 South Africa International Luka Wraber 21–16, 17–21, 15–21 Runner-up
2014 Zambia International Alen Roj 21–18, 21–8 Winner
2014 Nigeria International Arnaud Genin 11–4, 11–7, 4–11, 11–9 Winner
2011 South Africa International Pedro Martins 15–21, 18–21 Runner-up
2011 Botswana International Misha Zilberman 10–21, 21–16, 22–20 Winner
2008 Mauritius International Carlos Longo 21–15, 15–21, 21–8 Winner
2006 Kenya International Richard Vaughan 16–21, 17–21 Runner-up
  • 2016– Bronze medal in South African international
  • 2015– Bronze medal in Botswana international
  • 2015– Bronze medal in South African international
  • 2015– Bronze medal in Nigeria international
  • 2015– Bronze medal in Ethiopia international
  • 2015– Second round World Championships
  • 2012– London Olympic Games Group F
  • 2012– Quarter finals Grand Prix Gold US Open
  • 2011– Bronze medal in Ethiopia international
  • 2010– Second round Commonwealth Games 2010 New Delhi
  • 2008– Second round Beijing Olympic Games
  • 2008– Bronze medal in Nigeria international
  • 2008– Bronze medal in Kenya International

Men's doubles

Year Tournament Partner Opponent Score Result
2015 Uganda International Milan Liduk Pavel Florian
Ondrej Kopriva		 11–7, 5–11, 11–10, 6–11, 8–11 Runner-up
2006 Kenya International Abraham Wogute Himesh Patel
Patrick Ruto		 21–8, 21–15 Winner
  • 2017– Bronze medal in Uganda international
  • 2014– Bronze medal in South African international
  • 2008– Bronze medal in Nigeria international
  • 2005– Bronze medal in Kenya International
     BWF International Challenge tournament
     BWF International Series tournament
     BWF Future Series tournament

References
  1. "Edwin Ekiring Biography and Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  2. "Biography Ekiring, Edwin". Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  3. "History". Uganda Badminton Association. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  4. "Ugandan badminton player Ekiring secures Olympic slot". Xinhua News Agency. 19 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  5. "London 2012 Olympics: Ugandan underdog loses match but wins over crowd at Wembley". Daily Telegraph. 30 July 2012.
  6. "Commonwealth Games – event results". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  7. "London 2012: Ekiring loses to top US Open seed". Uganda Sports. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  8. Onyango, Emma (7 May 2012). "Uganda: Nation's Ekiring Qualifies for Second Olympics". East African Business Week. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
  9. "Glasgow 2014 – Badminton". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  10. "Glasgow 2014 – Edwin Ekiring Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  11. "Participants: Edwin Ekiring". gc2018.com. Gold Coast 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
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