Gadi, Alcala banner Nat’l Open cast

MANILA, Philippines - Many-time Open champion Toby Gadi and rising star Mark Alcala headline the elite field gearing up for the P1.5 million Bingo Bonanza National Open badminton tournament set Dec. 11 at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Center.

Gadi, who has dominated the last ranking badminton circuit of the Philippine Badminton Association, gears up for another title crack in the upcoming tournament which offers ranking points and the top P120,000 purse in the men’s singles.

But he will be up against a talent-laden cast, headed by the 15-year-old Alcala, who will be coming into the event fresh from his romp in the Singapore Youth International where he humbled a tough field that included the region’s top players.

The list of players will be posted on Dec. 1 with the draw set on Dec. 5, according to the organizing EventKing Corp. The schedule will be posted on Dec. 7 while the team managers, coaches and players meeting will be held Dec. 9, also at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Center.

Other events on tap in the event, sponsored by Bingo Bonanza and sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez, are the ladies singles, the men’s and ladies doubles and the mixed doubles titles, according to tournament director Nelson Asuncion.

Alcala, who also topped the Smart National Open last July and ruled the Under-19 section in the recent Karyn Velez Memorial Youth Badminton Championships, is actually toughening up, along with fellow national team mainstays from the PBA-Smash Pilipinas team, in the Axiata Cup currently held in Jakarta.

Details, online listup: www.bingob.com/nationalopentournament <http://www.bingob.com/nationalopentournament> or email to EKC at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>.