Amisa, Crowne Plaza top FDG Cup

MANILA, Philippines - Team Amisa and Crowne Plaza fashioned out two victories in the six-level invitational side to share the spotlight in the FDG Cup Open Badminton Championships at Powersmash in Makati over the weekend.

Percival Francisco and Gilbert Millado outlasted the Robinsons Manila pair of Ramil Calangi and Patrick Laud in a thrilling 24-22, 24-22 victory to claim the Level A crown for Amisa, which also ruled Level C through Sir Luck Bantugan and Estie Singson.

The Bantugan-Singson tandem dominated Jun Gallardo and Rom Ycaza, also of Robinsons Manila, 21-6, 21-13, in the event held in honor of Robinsons Land Corp. president Frederick Go and backed by HCG 80, Davies Paints, Supreme Steel Pipe Corp. and Sycwin Wires and Cables.

Crowne Plaza, meanwhile, took the Levels D and E crowns as Beth Herrera and Sheila Salumbides trounced Eddie Cobankiat and Egay Cruz of Team Sapphire, 21-14, 21-4, in Level D finals of the event graced by world No. 5 Simon Santoso to outlast world No. 4 mixed doubles pair of Tontowi Ahmed and Liliyana Natsir, who played two exhibition matches with Go and Kennevic Asuncion.

Jovy Caranza and Allen Gamallo defeated Ronald Aguilera and Ivy Malibiran of Amisa, 21-13, 21-13, to pocket the Level E crown.

Ces de Castro and Al Kaw of Escalades copped the Level B title with a tough 21-19, 24-22 victory over Robinsons Palawan’s Rommel Aguilar and Rod de Silva while Carlito de Leon and Marie Emily Sison of Team Pearl won the Level F diadem with a come-from-behind 20-22, 21-17, 22-20 victory over Angelo Aguilar and Fhemie Medrano of Robinsons Magnolia.

Ronel Estanislao and Paul Vivas retained the Open men’s doubles title with a 21-14, 21-17 win over Patrick Natividad and Indon Perdian Fascal Rusman while Cheska Bermejo and Indon Marissa Vita downed RLC’s Isabelle Villaran and Natalia Poluakan of Indonesia, 21-15, 25-23, to clinch the Open women’s doubles plum.

Vita later teamed up with Marco Bermejo to stun Yogendran Krisnan of Malaysia and Malvinne Ann Alcala, 21-17, 22-20, and snatched the Open mixed doubles title.