MANILA, Philippines - A strong field of junior players who won in the three regional competitions of the Sun Cellular-Ming Ramos National Junior Badminton Tournament will compete in the national finals on Dec. 27-28 at the SM Annex, North EDSA, Quezon City.
Winners in the Luzon leg in Makati, the Visayas in Cebu City and Mindanao in General Santos recently, will clash in the boys and girls singles, doubles and mixed doubles in the under-13, 15, 17 and 19 classes.
Luzon qualifying leg champions will be led by national junior players Ros Leenard Pedrosa (U-19) and Sarah Joy Barredo (U-19) while Visayas will have U-19 singles winner April Dianne Bibiano.
The other finalists are Mindanao’s teen sensation Daniel Pantanosas (U-17), Luzon’s 10-year-old Jewel Angelo Albo ( U-13 and U-15), Marc Julian Lo and Solomon Padiz of Team Prima ( U-15 doubles) plus Visayas leg champion Carl Bernard Bejasa and Paul James Ouano and Mindanao U-15 doubles champs Ron Cabalquinto and Julius Fontanilla.
Sun Cellular president Orlando Vea said project has gone nationwide to discover young talents that could become future Olympic and world champions.
The tournament is supported by Sun Cellular, Smart Communications, Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) Sports Foundation, PBA Smash Pilipinas, Prima Pasta, Rocktape Phils. and Babolat, and powered by the Forthright Events.
The competition is sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) and is part of the Philippine National Ranking System.