SBC takes top seeding in Traders tournament

 Saipan Badminton Club ruled the round-robin elimination of the 5th Annual Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament and will be seeded first in this weekend’s playoffs at the TSL Sports Complex.

After playing against four other teams, SBC collected 85 games won and will be battling the last playoff qualifier, Shirley’s Badminton Club, in the crossover semifinals. The second-ranked Golden Racquet (66 games won) and No. 3 Berks Blazers (63) will duke it out in the other semis pairing. TAGA Badminton Club (55) was eliminated.

SBC completed its domination of the elimination round after winning its last two assignments over the weekend. SBC first downed Shirley’s Badminton Club, 21-12, and then defeated the Berks Blazers, 19-14.

Against Shirley’s, SBC won three of their first four matches played in Week 2 and then the former topped five more pairings last Friday. SBC swept the singles matches with Dick Guintu and Toshiko Obata prevailing over Shirley’s Jerry Hibi, 21-14, 22-20, and Annette Ta, 18-21, 21-11, 21-17, respectively.

In other results last Friday, SBC’s Toshiko Obata and Heo In Sook beat Elma Labuson and Roma Barlao in the women’s doubles B, 21-14, 22-10; Gary Bandoja and Sook swept Aries Cordero and Jaja Samonte in the mixed doubles B, 21-13, 21-9; Bandoja and Sunja Kim edged Malou Malasarte and Joseph Santos in the mixed doubles A, 18-21, 25-23, 21-17; and Hannah Choi andKim swept Malasarte and Samonte in the women’s doubles A, 21-10, 21-10. Shirley’s wins in the pairing came from Sam Jones and Santos (men’s doubles B), Hibi and Buljenns (men’s doubles B), Jexler Caranto and Brendon Talania (men’s doubles C), and Caranto and Windy Fernandez (mixed doubles C).

For its final assignment, SBC challenged the Berks last Saturday and Sunday and drew wins from Oh Anyeol and Kang Yun Moo (men’s doubles C), Bandoja and Oh Imbog (men’s doubles B), Lee Sang Mi and Lee Eun Yee (women’s doubles C), Joel Ortega and Kim Boranah (mixed doubles C), and Choi (women’s singles).

Anyeol and Kang swept Berks’ Roman Neri and Rommel Bartolome, 21-14; 21-10; Bandoja and Imbog topped Gerry Balarao and Wowie Abuel, 21-18, 21-17; and Lees edged Jane Tupaz and Arlene Naguit, 17-21, 21-18, 21-18; Ortega and Boranah slipped past Tupaz and Balarao, 23-21, 18-21, 21-16, and Choi defeated Lucille Lampera, 21-11, 21-11.

Meanwhile, in the playoff round, qualifying teams will still compete in 11 matches with squads recording a sweep getting three games won. The club with the most games won at the end of the pairing wins the semis and advances to the finals.