Philippine badminton body set for busy year

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Badminton Association (PBAD) is set to flock to greater heights this 2023 after a productive campaign last year.

With the help of staunch advocates led by PBAD and PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, Smart, and the MVP Sports Foundation, the local federation gears up for a busy year starting with a historic tournament next month in a bid to discover new talents and prepare the national campaigners for the coming Southeast Asian Games.

PBAD will stage a Philippine Badminton Open on February 20-26 in Makati City, serving as a stepping stone for the Smash Pilipinas’ medal goal in the 32nd biennial meet in Cambodia in May.

The tourney will also mark the country’s first official rankings system that will help local shuttlers scale the world rankings with hopes of earning a shot at bigger international tourneys led by the Paris Olympics.

“Aside from contributing to the training of our national team, we are also maximizing opportunities to support the development of badminton in our country — from grassroots to our national team,” said Christopher Quimpo, AVP at Smart and Secretary-General of PBAD.

“Our love for badminton stems from the belief that sports promote values like discipline, mental resilience, and sportsmanship, which could help us all become better people,” he added after PBAD staged the prestigious Badminton Asia Championships and the Philippine InterCollegiate Championships last year.

Aside from hosting international tilts, Smash Pilipinas also stamped its class abroad with multiple championships in Benin, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cameroon that catapulted the country to No. 66 in the world rankings.

“We are very proud of our Philippine national badminton team. We’ve always seen their potential and we are glad to see them reaping the fruits of their labor. We still have a long way to go, but with the right support and right team to back our players, we know that they can succeed,” said Jude Turcuato, Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart.