Kenya’s national woodball team, composed of determined young players, delivered a stellar performance at the 2026 World Woodball Championship held in Malaysia earlier this week.
Despite facing fierce international competition, the team’s resilience resulted in a total of seven medals: one silver and six bronze. The championship was defined by high-stakes matches and narrow margins.
The 10th World Woodball Championship took place in Perlis, Malaysia, from July 24 to 29, 2026, featuring top international competitors where Indonesia claimed the overall senior title and Kenya achieved a historic medal haul. The championship was hosted at the University of Malaysia Perlis City Campus.
The tournament, officially opened on 25 July 2026 by the Crown Prince of Perlis, Syed Faizuddin, featured competitors from 14 nations.
Kenya’s standout performance came in the fairway doubles, where the duo of Ben Petros Moseti and David Wairimu Mungai advanced to a tense final against Indonesia. After a 4/4 tie in regulation, the match proceeded to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, where Kenya narrowly missed the gold, falling 2-1 to secure the silver medal.
Other medals were won in the singles fairway (men) event by David Wairimu Mungai (bronze) and Jamiah Khalid who also won bronze. In the fairways doubles (men), Ezra Moseti and David Sang Ebenezer won bronze.
The Kenyan pair of Dorcas Murithi and Jamiah Khalid took bronze in the open doubles (ladies) while in the same men’s event, Moseti Ezra, David Sang, Ben Petros and David Wairimu also won bronze. In the fairway teams (ladies) event, Team Kenya also won bronze, highlighting the collective strength of the Kenyan squad.
The tournament included players across five age divisions, starting off with juniors (5–12 years) and the youth (13–17 years). The seniors competed from 18–28 years, with a veteran’s category aged 65 years and over. The teams from cooperates were open to vie at any age.
Mr. William Luta, Head of Logistics and Technicals for Team Kenya, praised the team’s effort but noted that there is room for growth in future. “This has been a very good performance, even though it fell short of our targets. We expected gold in several categories, but the team fell slightly short of the international expertise utilized by their competitors,” he said.
The Kenyan team’s participation was funded by the Sports Ministry, with Mount Kenya University (MKU) sponsoring training and local transport. Mr Luta is also the Head of Sports and Creative Arts at MKU. ‘‘We thank God the Almighty for the strength and we must appreciate coach Mboya for his big training contribution and encouragement kept us going,’’ team captain David sang was noted.
In a joint statement, Kenya Woodball President Antony Mwanzia and Secretary General Samuel Litaba emphasized the necessity of international exposure. They expressed gratitude for the government’s sponsorship and called for continued support as the team begins preparations for the 2028 Beach World Cup and the 11th World Cup in 2030.
The following athletes represented the country with distinction. Among the ladies, Loyat Chelimo, Dorcas Murithi, Faith Onyango, Jamiah Khalid, Patience Mutua, Hayden Muasya, Faith Sorimpan Kaelo and Esther Ngolong did well.
The men who starred included David Sang Ebenezer, Ezra Moseti, Ben Petros Moseti, David Wairimu Mungai, Remmy Otieno, Paul Maore and Jeremiah Masasi.
Indonesia achieved the overall champion title in the 2026 Woodball World Cup, an achievement that reaffirmed Indonesia’s position as a major force in woodball. Indonesia took home four golds, two silvers, and a bronze medal.
Nearer home, the Uganda’s women’s doubles team won gold at the event, Championship at the University of Malaysia Perlis City Campus in Malaysia. The pairing of Christine Birungi and Sanyu Mirembe won gold during the female doubles event.
It concluded with a state dinner and closing ceremony on 29 August 2026 graced by His Highness the King of Perlis, King Sirajuddin ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail. Individual awards were presented at the King’s discretion.
Meanwhile, Mount Kigali University (MKUR) has been crowned the inaugural Rwanda Varsity League Football Champions after an unbeaten 2025–2026 campaign. MKUR defeated East African University Rwanda (EAUR) 3-0 in the final at Kamena Stadium, Huye, to secure the historic title.
Prof. Simon Gicharu congratulated the players for their discipline and teamwork, while Vice-Chancellor Dr. Martin Kimemia hailed the victory as a milestone for the university’s sports development. The team will now represent Rwanda at the East African Inter-Universities Championship in Uganda in December 2026.
