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Veterans prevail in mixed doubles B finals
Toshika Obata makes a return during her and Aries Cordero’s game against Mykki Caracut and Ezekiel Macario in the mixed doubles B division of the IT&E badminton tournament at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Obata and Cordero eked out a 21-19 win in the opening game to move one victory away from clinching the division championship, but Farro and Edralin remained in contention with a similar 21-19 triumph in the second game. In the deciding third match, Cordero and Obata showed there was enough juice left in them to keep up with their way much younger opponents and worked out a 21-14 victory.
The mixed doubles B title was third in four years for Obata in the same tournament, while it was Cordero’s first. Obata teamed up with Oh Im Bog in bagging back-to-back mixed doubles B crowns in 2011 and 2012 and then partnered with Brendon Talania last year where the former and her new teammate lost in the semifinals to eventual champions Oh and Alma Ortega.
Joining Obata and Ortega and Farro and Edralin in the Top 3 were Kelvin You and Julie Lee, who needed only to games to beat Vic Regis and Cheng Saturno, 21-19, 21-18.
In the mixed doubles A, the pair of Andreau Galvez and Jen Savellano led the Top 3. The duo took the division championship after outclassing Lanie Bartolome and Ferdie Arago in three games. Galvez and Savellano drew first blood in the finals, 21-14, but missed the outright win when Arago and Bartolome labored a 22-20 triumph in the second game. The rubber match was another close one with Galvez and Savellano escaping with a 21-19 win to return on top of the division.
This year’s champion pair faltered in its bid last year when it bowed to eventual winners Janelle Pangilinan and Jexler Caranto. Janelle also joined this year’s contest, but joined forces with brother Jordan and the Pangilinans made it to the podium after stunning the veteran tandem of Hannah Choi and Glenn Bluutjens. The siblings had a so-so performance in the opening game of the consolation match, losing at 9-21, but got their acts together in the last two games to steal the victory, 21-13, 21-13.
In the mixed doubles C finals, Han Cheoul You and Christine Saplan cruised past the mother-and-son pair of Gigi and Raphael Zapanta, 21-11, 21-10. In the battle for third place, Jeremy Montenejo and Nicole Malasarte also swept Eydie Uy and Merlie Savellano, 21-16, 21-10.
Meanwhile, results in the singles title matches will be reported in Saipan Tribune’s Friday edition.
