Shirley’s wins opener of Traders Insurance tourney

Shirley’s Badminton Club got off to a strong start after dominating Taga Badminton Club, 38-7, during the opening of the 9th Annual Traders Insurance Badminton Team Tournament held last Saturday at the TSL Sports Complex.

Shirley’s won 13 of the 15 pairings, highlighting its lopsided victory over Taga with a sweep of the seven matches scheduled on Court 3. The winning club prevailed in the men’s A singles, men’s AA doubles, women’s CC doubles, men’s CC doubles, mixed BB doubles, men’s AB doubles, and mixed AB doubles. On Court 1, Shirley’s topped the men’s B singles, men’s BB doubles, women’s AA doubles, women’s BB doubles, mixed BC doubles, and women’s B singles, while Taga took the women’s C singles, and mixed AA doubles.

The tandem of Daniel Macario and Jeff Riman gave Shirley’s the victory in the men’s AB doubles after beating Rodwealth Espana and Taeho Kim, 21-13, 21-16. In the mixed AB doubles, Hannah Choi and Hajin Oh also swept Taga’s Cristy Villaflor and Espana, 21-15, 21-5. Oh got his second win when he teamed up with Windy Fernandez in downing Jun Kim and Villaflor, 21-9, 21-7. Windy duplicated Oh’s feat, as she partnered with Vilma Reyes in topping Loyda Ito and Shirley’s Kim in the women’s B doubles, 21-18, 21-18.

In other results, Chris Hilario and Riman swept Jun Kim and Edwin Montoya in the men’s B doubles, 21-12, 21-19, while Choi and Jaja Bocago also needed only two games to beat Merlie Tolentino and Elna Curate in the women’s B doubles, 21-11, 21-6. Montoya was on the losing end, too, of his singles match against Ferdie Arago, who cruised to a 21-7, 21-17 victory.

Macario and Macoi Aguda handed Montoya (with Celso Agui) another defeat after prevailing in their men’s AB doubles tiff, 21-16, 21-12. In the women’s CC doubles, Cassie Obaldo and Baby Banadero also took the short route to victory against Gigi Zapanta and Roxe Lazaro, 21-14, 21-11. Shirley’s got two more wins via straight games with Allan Relativo and Erwin Lee downing Taeho Kim and Tommy Kim, 21-10, 21-19, and Fernandez sweeping Ito, 21-12, 23-21

Shirley’s two remaining victories were decided after three games. Patrick Fernandez recorded both of them with the first one against Taeho Kim in the men’s B singles, 21-16, 16-21, 21-18. Patrick then teamed up with Banadero in slipping past Jun Sik Kim and Zapanta in the mixed BC doubles, 18-21, 21-14, 21-17.

Taga, on the other hand, drew its two wins in the mixed A doubles and women’s C singles. Montoya paired with Ito and they edged Lani Bartolome and Hapi Gabriel, 21-19, 13-21, 22-20, while Lazaro topped Obaldo, 25-23, 21-14.

Meanwhile, United Badminton Club and Golden Racquets were the other teams entered in the Traders Insurance-sponsored tournament.

Traders handed over $1,500 to the organizing Northern Marianas Badminton Association during the competition opening last weekend in support of the team event. Traders’ donation will be used for the prizes and other tournament costs. The champion squad will take home $500, while $300 and $100 will go to the runner-up and third finisher.

The Top 2 teams after the round-robin elimination will collide for the winner-take-all finale.