Coach sees Games as opportunity to further promote badminton

From left, CNMI National Badminton Team captain Nate Guerrero, assistant coaches Patricia Surima and Paolo Quidato, and head coach James Digno pose inside the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, the venue for the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022.(ANGEL LI)

Winning a medal or two may be a daunting task with powerhouse badminton players from Tahiti and New Caledonia entered in the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022, but CNMI national badminton coach James Digno said his youthful squad is up to the challenge.

“I’m pretty sure we can win, if not gold, silver at least,” he said, adding that he expects to have a very high level of matches since it’s the first Mini Games badminton competition held in the CNMI.

More than a podium finish, Digno also wants his players to represent the CNMI and badminton as best they could as ambassadors of the sport.

“Our goal for this Mini Games is to hopefully spread the sport of badminton because it’s a very fun game contrary to what a lot of people say about badminton. I hope to bring the motivation and hype to the sport itself and to make people get interested in the sport. We’re always looking for players.”

Last week also saw the team finally have their first practice sessions at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium that will serve them well as the badminton competition in the Games starts today.

“The practices have been OK, but not ideal but it’s good enough because the Ada Gym was under renovation when we needed to practice. We used to practice at the TSL Multi-Purpose Gymnasium but they couldn’t really fully practice there because the ceilings are lower and the birdie would always hit the ceiling,” he said.

Despite their limited time at the Games’ venue, Digno is glad that the national team is preparing for the Games with a full head of steam.

“The team has been working really hard and they always show up to practice. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Assisting Digno on the team are Paulo Jerome N. Quidato and Patricia Surima with Nathan Guerrero serving as team captain.

For Guerrero, he wants the CNMI to finally win a medal in the sport as doing so would open doors for a lot of them in the future.

“I hope everybody comes and support every sport and all the NMI athletes during the Games. Come and watch, come and cheer. Come on and come all. We’d love to see everybody,” he said.

Aside from Guerrero, who represented the islands in the Samoa Pacific Games in 2019, also in the men’s team are fellow Pacific Games veterans Andreau Galvez, Jordan Pangilinan, and siblings Ezekiel and Daniel Macario, and Leonard Isaiah Manuel.

In the women’s side, Janelle Pangilinan will suit up for the national team anew after debuting in the Pacific Games three years ago. She will have Jenine Savellano, Jeanelyn Cardinio, Windy Ann Fernandez, and sisters Michaella and Mikamaika Serrano as teammates. (Angel Li)