THE country’s finest badminton players and rising stars brace not only for a duel for supremacy and cash prizes but also for ranking points when the P1.5 million Bingo Bonanza National Open is staged Oct. 17-23 at the CW Home Depot Ortigas and SM Megamall.
Tournament director Nelson Asuncion said ranking points will be up for grabs in the week-long event, this being the country’s premier championship which features members of the national team and the national pool with a slew of other talented players from the provinces also out to make their mark.
Possible inclusion in the national team also awaits the top finishers in various divisions of the event sponsored by Bingo Bonanza Corp. and sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez, according to Asuncion during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.
Meanwhile, to accommodate the big number of players seeking spots in the event, organizers have moved the deadline for registration to Oct. 7. Entry fee is P800 at 5 p.m., according to the organizing EventKing Corp. For details and online listup, visit wwww.bingob.com/nationalopentournament or email entry forms to EKC at [email protected].
Also gracing the forum sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s and Pagcor are national team head coach Paulus Firman and team manager Atty. Ponciano Cruz.
Asuncion also said foreign players are welcome to join the event although they can’t earn ranking points.
“They (foreigners) can join and help make the tournament competitive but they can’t gain ranking points,” said Asuncion.
The posting of participants will be on Oct. 7 while the draw and seeding will be held on Oct. 11 at the LWRC 26F West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Center in Ortigas. The schedule of matches will be posted on Oct. 14 while the coaches, team managers and players’ meeting will be held on Oct. 16, also at LWRC.
The qualifiers and quarterfinals will cover five days of action at the
CW Home Depot before the tournament, backed by Victor PCOME as the official equipment, SM Megamall, Smash Pilipinas and the Philippine Olympic Committee, moves to the SM Megamall for the semis and finals on Oct. 22 and 23.
Sarah Joy Barredo and Mark Alcala are expected to defend their women’s
and men’s singles titles in the centerpiece Open division of the event fully backed by Bingo Bonanza Corp.
Other players to watch are R-Jay Ormilla, Kenneth Monterubio, Kevin Cudiamat, Paul Vivas and Peter Magnaye in the men’s side, and Airha Albo, Christine Inlayo and Malvinne Alcala in the women’s side.
The top collegiate and club players from Metro Manila and the different provinces will also join the hunt for the winners’ purse of P100,000 for the men’s and women’s singles champions and P120,000 for the men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association.