Cameroon secured a bronze medal at the 2026 Challenge des Internationaux de Badminton after India dominated the seventh edition of the tournament in Yaounde.
The event was held from 3 to 6 September at the Palais Polyvalent des Sports de Yaounde, known as PAPOSY, and brought together representatives from 25 countries across five continents.
This year’s competition marked a significant step forward for the Challenge des Internationaux du Cameroun, which was classified as a Grade 3 tournament by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for the first time. The new status elevated the event on the continental calendar and helped attract some of the strongest players competing internationally.
Over four days, spectators in Yaounde watched a series of closely contested matches featuring powerful smashes, precise tactical returns and rapid exchanges. The finals on 6 September provided the climax to an event described as a major success for the organisers.
India emerged as the leading nation, reaching almost every final and taking a number of titles across the five disciplines.
The women’s doubles final was an all-Indian contest. Selvam and Singhi won the gold medal after beating Rutaparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda 21-10, 21-16.
There was also an all-Indian meeting in the men’s singles final, where Gnana Hmar Lalthazuala defeated compatriot Tankara in a dramatic three-game match. After winning the first game 21-13, Gnana Hmar Lalthazuala lost the second 21-12 before edging the deciding game 23-21.
Bharath, representing the United Arab Emirates, won the women’s singles title. She overcame Azerbaijan’s Keisha Fatimah 21-16, 21-19.
The men’s doubles crown went to Thailand’s Madee and Pongsakorn, who beat India’s Sai and Ruban in three games. The Thai pair won 21-19, lost the second 21-15 and then took the decisive game 21-16.
India claimed another title in the mixed doubles, with Rawat and Maneesha defeating Algeria’s Koceila and Tanina 23-21, 21-17.
Cameroon’s medal came in the mixed doubles. The home pairing of Paul Christ Assembe Voundi and Maeva Princia Gertrude Anamba were beaten by the Algerian pair 21-12, 21-7 in the semi-final, but their run was enough to earn the hosts a valuable bronze medal.
The seventh edition was praised for its organisation and has already set the stage for the next instalment, with the organisers expressing major ambitions for the eighth edition.
Badminton is played either as singles, with two players, or doubles, with four, on a rectangular court divided by a net measuring 1.55 metres high. Players score a point on every rally by attempting to land the shuttlecock in their opponents’ half of the court.
A match is won by the player or pair that takes two games, with each game played to 21 points. Serves are delivered diagonally and below waist height, while the shuttlecock must not touch the ground during play. The sport combines smashes, drop shots, clears and drives, and the shuttlecock can travel at speeds of more than 400 km/h, making badminton the fastest racket sport in the world.