Filipino shuttlers target 2016 Rio Games

MANILA, Philippines - Slowly but surely, Philippine badminton is hitting the right shots.

“We feel that we made the right decision. The expectations are high,” said Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) secretary-general Alfredo Benitez yesterday.

“There’s a tremendous response in the international community. They’re saying that the Philippines is the next country to watch,” said the congressman from Negros Occidental.

Members of the Philippine team now under former Olympic champion Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia were presented to the media yesterday at the RMSC badminton hall.

It’s been close to 100 days since Mainaky, who won the doubles gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, took over the coaching chores, and the early results are very encouraging.

“We are moving toward the right direction. If we keep this kind of an atmosphere and continue doing this, the 2016 Rio Olympics can be very exciting for us,” said Benitez.

“The end sight here is to create a breed of international players. Rio is the ultimate goal. And even the SEA Games because some of the world’s best are in the region,” he added.