by Joe James
What’s the story?
The Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP) has appointed a new leadership team to spearhead the growth of pickleball across the African continent with Regina Nakibuule as the Director of Sports Development.
Nakibuule, who’s a big advocate for the grassroots development of the sport, will serve a four-year term until 2029. Her role is crucial for implementing strategies to develop and promote the sport across the continent.
The Ugandan’s appointment was confirmed during a high-level meeting where representatives from 19 African nations cast their votes for new CAP leadership and board members.
CAP’s newly elected leadership team will play a crucial role in shaping the future of pickleball in Africa.
Dr Kwabena Akufo from Ghana was elected as CAP President, with Kartik Kapoor from Tanzania serving as Vice President.
Other notable positions include Captain Collins Munene from Kenya as Secretary General, Salomon Kalisa from Rwanda as Director of Finance, and Babatunde Epoyun from Nigeria as Director of Tournaments & Events.
There have also been regional directors appointed to oversee pickleball’s expansion across different parts of Africa.
The Recap
The Confederation of African Pickleball (CAP) held a meeting to determine new leaders and board members to assist in the development of pickleball across the continent.
The officially elected Board of Directors and Regional Directors of CAP for are as follows:
Board of Directors 2025-2029
President: Dr. Kwabena Akufo (Ghana)
Vice president: Kartik Kapoor (Tanzania)
Secretary General: Captain Collins Munene (Kenya)
Director of Tournaments & Events: Babatunde Epoyun (Nigeria)
Director of Finance: Salomon Kalisa (Rwanda)
Director of Sports Development: Regina Nakibuule (Uganda)
Regional Directors
East Africa Regional Director: Brian Omwando (Kenya)
West Africa Regional Director: Barnaby Ephraim (Nigeria)
North Africa Regional Director: Younes Choukri (Morocco)
Southern Africa Regional Director: Michelle Kriese (South Africa)
Central Africa Regional Director: Tonfak Roger (Cameroon)
Regina Nakibuule’s appointment as Director of Sports Development is significant as her role will be instrumental in implementing strategies to grow the sport. Her term, alongside the other leaders on the board will last until 2029.
With a wealth of expertise, passion and dedication to achieve the ambitious development plans regarding pickleball’s future in Africa, the sport across the continent is venturing into exciting new territory.
The PKLBull Verdict
The appointment of Nakibuule and the new CAP leadership are hugely promising signs for pickleball’s future in Africa.
Still in its early development stages across the continent, the sport now has a fully-fledged and dedicated team poised to elevate its presence and accessibility.
Nakibuule’s role in sports development will be an instrumental part of building pathways for talented young athletes, developing local leagues, and ensuring that pickleball is within reach for communities across the continent.
The fact that 19 countries across Africa have participated in the voting process underscores the widespread interest and support for these plans.
It is key now that the appropriate infrastructure, funding and raising of public awareness is put in place to help position Africa strongly on the global scale of pickleball in the next four years.
Directors have been appointed in East, West, Southern and Central Africa and this full distribution of leadership is critical in achieving the ambitious goals set for African pickleball.
The plans, alongside pickleball’s continued popularity and accessibility, showcases the continued growth of the sport globally and hints towards a bright future for the game in Africa.