Ming-Victor Phl Open unfolds at Club 650

MANILA, Philippines –  With the top seeds drawing opening day byes, the lesser lights take center stage today as the Ming Ramos-Victor National Open and Youth Badminton Championships gets going at the Club 650 Badminton Center in Libis, Quezon City.

Elimination round matches in the boys and girls’ singles and doubles events in the Under-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 categories are on tap in the first two days of the four-day championships featuring the country’s top and rising badminton players who are also chasing berths in the national pool.

Marius Zapanta, Kevin Cudiamat and Toru Takeuchi, who share the fifth ranking in the boys’ U-19 class, open their respective bids against Lee Sabanal, Joshua Balagtas and Joshua Monterubio, all looking for a spot in the Last 16.

Top ranked Malvinne Alcala, 15 but tipped to dominate the U-19 girls singles, and second seed Danica San Ignacio also gained automatic seats in the quarterfinals while third ranked Janelle de Vera and Anna Barredo take on Lia Chua and Jm Mariano, respectively.

Other players fancied in the event organized and conducted by the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) are Nikki Servando and Cassandra Lim (girls U-17), Lim and Kaydee de Jesus (U-15), Aira Albo and Eleanor Inlayo (U-13), Aldreen Concepcion and Jellene de Vera (U-11); Kenneth Monterubio and Gerard Sibayan (boys U-17), Joshua Monterubio and Carlo Remo (U-15), Mark Alcala and Kenneth Cuden (U-13), Daniel Baguio and Piolo Angsico (U-11).

PBA president and former First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos will make the ceremonial serve with PBA executive vice president Gen. Edgar Aglipay, national coach Conrado Co and PCOME Industrial Sales, Inc. president and CEO Alex Villamanca, kicking off the event, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC).

The tournament, which drew close to 300 players from the various badminton clubs in the country, including Allied Badminton, Escoses Training Camp, WWGBA, Whackers Badminton Academy, Gingoog Badminton Club and Team Prima, offers a total prize fund of P350,000 plus over P450,000 worth of equipment from Victor, distributed locally by PCome Industrial Sales, Inc.