Co aims for slot in junior national team

MANILA, Philippines - Paul Co, one of the country’s rising badminton stars, hopes to vie for a spot in the junior national team after a string of impressive finishes this year.

The 16-year-old Co finished third in the 18-under class in the recent Yonex-Sunrise Philippines National Open Badminton Championship and teamed up with Elijah Abdel Boac to bag the 16-under doubles diadem.

Co and Boac defeated the tandem of Anthony Chen and Brian Garrido in the finals, 21-14, 21-16.

They beat Joshua Bernardo and Ernest Orillaneda in the semis, 16-21, 21-13, 21-13, and upended the highly-favored pair of Justine Wilbert Natividad and Karl Jeffrey Foronda, 20-22, 21-18, 21-18, in the quarters.

He also settled for the bronze in the 18-under boys’ singles after surprising fancied Charlo Tengco, 21-18, 21-16.

Co is currently training under coach Jaime Junio, a former national team mainstay and current head coach of Team PRIMA/Li-Ning at Powersmash badminton court in Makati City.

Co also emerged champion in the recent MMOA Cup’s 16-and-under boys’ doubles with partner Mark Christian Vega and Toby’s 16-and-under boys’ doubles with Boac at SM Megamall recently.