Pinoy junior shuttlers gain World top 10

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines failed in its bid to upset world power Denmark, 0-3, but succeeded in gaining a top 10 ranking for the first time in the World Juniors Badminton Championships at the Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim in Kedah, Malaysia yesterday.

The Filipino shuttlers upended the Singaporeans, 3-1, to gain a crack at ninth place but succumbed to the fancied Danish team to settle for No. 10 in a field of 36 nations, including world powers China, Malaysia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, England, India and Russia.

Paul Jefferson Vivas and Peter Gabriel Magnaye outduelled Singapore’s Jia Yi Koh and Hao Cong Jeffrey Wongn to pull off a straight-set 21-17, 22-20 victory in the boys doubles to clinch the victory for Team RP, 3-1.

Earlier, Magnaye teamed up with Malvinne Ann Venice Alcala to outlast Singapore’s Hao Cong Jeffrey Wong and Ting Ting Thng, 21-18, 21-19, in the mixed doubles in 23 minutes then Philip Joper Escueta needed 21 minutes to trounce Soon Lee Gerald Ong, 21-9, 21-16, in the boys singles for a 2-0 RP lead.

But Singapore fought back in the girls’ singles as Jiayuan Chen stopped Gelita Castilo, 21-7, 21-12, in 20 minutes.

“I’m very happy and proud of our players,” said head delegate Federico Laciste Jr. of the Philippine Badminton Association. “This is the first time that the Philippines finished No. 10 in the world juniors. We wound up 23rd when we last competed in 2007.”