NMI badminton players haul 6 gold medals

Members of the NMI National Badminton Team pose for a photo before competing in the 2022 Guam Badminton Invitational Tournament over the weekend at the Guam Badminton Sports Center in Barrigada. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The NMI National Badminton Team had a fruitful campaign in the 2022 Guam Badminton Invitational Tournament after collecting six gold medals and three silvers in the weekend competition held at the Guam Badminton Sports Center in Barrigada.

Janelle Pangilinan, who will be making her second tour of duty for the NMI in the 2022 Mini Games after playing in the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, led the visiting squad’s medal haul after winning three golds. She and Nate Guerrero gave the NMI its first gold medal in the Guam event after topping the open mixed doubles division and got two more after prevailing in the open women’s singles and doubles. She partnered with fellow NMI player Jenine Savellano in the women’s doubles to finish ahead of Guam’s Elaine Labang and Jennica Silva in the rankings. In the singles, Pangilinan was undefeated in the round-robin play, besting four other entries

In other results, Leonard Manuel and Mikamaika Serrano handed the NMI another gold medal when they won over Guam’s Kyle Ebuen and Gina Factor in the C mixed doubles. In the C women’s doubles, it was an all-CNMI duel with the pair of Patricia Surima and Jeanelyn Cardinio downing Serrano and NMBA general secretary Christy Villaflor in the finale.

Cardino also played in the C women’s singles and got the gold after defeating Villaflor, while Paolo Quidato settled for the silver after losing to Ebuen in the C men’s singles. The NMI’s other silver medal finish was courtesy of the duo of Andreau Galvez and Jordan Pangilinan, who bowed to C.J. Estipona and John Conducto in the open men’s doubles finals.

After their strong showing in the Guam tournament, which served as their first pre-Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 competition, the 13 NMI national team members returned to Saipan last Tuesday and will resume their training session next week.

The squad is happy with its medal haul, but the group is more thankful for the opportunity to finally compete against players outside Saipan.

“The badminton tournament on Guam was a great success. Everyone from both associations (Guam National Badminton Federation and Northern Marianas Badminton Association) had a blast and it was a great opportunity for our new players to get that playing experience and for the rest of us to see what we need to work more on,” Guerrero said.

Meanwhile, NMBA president Merlie Tolentino thanked GNBF members and officials led by president Sandra Low and the volunteers in the tournament for hosting a competition that’s important to both NMI and Guam as the two countries prepare for the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022. Tolentino added the NMBA is pleased with the performance on the NMI National Badminton Team and she hopes that the experience in Guam will further inspire them to continue working hard as they are headed for an even tougher competition in the Mini Games. The badminton tournament in the Mini Games will run from June 20 to 25, while the entire event will take place from June 17 to 25.