Edralin takes 3 titles in IT&E badminton tourney

Deether Edralin bends for a return, while his teammate Shirley Kim looks on during their title game against Nicole Malasarte and Jordan Pangilinan in the mixed doubles AB division of the 2017 IT&E Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles Badminton Tournament held last weekend at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Deether Edralin earned the most championships in the 2017 IT&E Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles Badminton Tournament after prevailing in three titles matches over the weekend at the TSL Sports Complex.

Edralin first teamed up with Shirley Kim in the mixed doubles AB division and they outlasted Nicole Malasarte and Jordan Pangilinan in the finals to gain the championship. Malasarte and Pangilinan won the opening game, 21-18, but lost the division crown after Edralin and Kim swept the last two, 21-15, 22-20.

For the men’s singles A, Edralin was pitted against Pangilinan in the finals and swept the latter, 21-9, 21-13, for the former’s second straight crown.

From opponent to teammate, Edralin then partnered with Pangilinan in slipping past Nathan Guerrero and Joung Min Lee in the men’s doubles A finals. The eventual champions bowed to their foes in the opening game 17-21, but fought back in the last two to take the division crown, 21-19, 21-14.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan and Kim won one more title last weekend. Pangilinan joined forces with Hannah Choi in outclassing Edralin and Kim in the mixed doubles A finals, 21-19, 25-27, 21-11. Kim also played in the women’s doubles B with Anna Alvarez and they needed three games too to down Windy Fernandez and Jaja Bocago in the championship match, 21-19, 14-21, 21-11.

Choi duplicated Kim and Pangilinan’s feat as the former also notched her second title after ruling (with Fernandez) the women’s doubles AB. This time, Choi and Fernandez took the short route to the Promised Land after sweeping Alvarez and Malou Malasarte in the finals, 21-19, 21-15.

In other results, Allan Relativo became the fourth player to take two championships in the Northern Marianas Badminton Association-organized tournament after prevailing in the men’s doubles BC and mixed BC.

In the men’s doubles BC, Relativo teamed up with Patrick Fernandez in defeating Guerrero and John Oh 21-8, 21-8. Then in the mixed doubles BC finals, Relativo worked with Patrick’s wife, Windy, and they topped Merlie Savellano and Joel Ortega, 21-9, 21-12.

John Oh, after losing in the men’s doubles BC, did not go home empty handed, as he and Miles Guerrero clinched the mixed doubles C crown after winning against Henry Ko and Juelee Won in the finals, 21-14, 21-19. John also earned the championship in the men’s doubles C division, as he and Henry Ko edged Rob Harrell and Relativo in the finals, 21-12, 23-21.

John’s brother Hajin took home two crowns, too—mixed doubles B and men’s doubles B. Hajin and Windy won against the former’s father Im Bog Oh and Rowena Sison in the mixed doubles B finals, 21-18, 21-17. In the men’s doubles B, Hajin was with Jun Sik Kim and they swept Im Bog and Patrick Fieldad, 21-14, 21-1.

Completing the tournament’s champions circle was Nathan Guerrero who took the men’s singles B crown against Jun Sik Kim.

Nathan Guerrero secured the title in the men’s B singles after falling short in the finale of two doubles events