JVC Asian tiff boost to RP badminton

The JVC Asian Badminton Championships will not only provide Filipino players the exposure they need to raise the level of their game but will also give local badminton a tremendous boost when it is staged Aug. 22-26 at the Philsports Arena.

"The event will be a good exposure for the Filipino players," said Philippine Badminton Association (PBA) president and former First Lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos during the launching of the event last week. "But we hope the public will come and support them not only to boost their morale but also to help promote and popularize the sport."

Local fans will be treated to a five-day showcase of world-class badminton with fancied No. 1 doubles team of Gao Ling and Huang Sui of China, Sydney Olympics men’s double gold medalists Tony Gunawan and Halim Haryanto of Indonesia leading big field in the $150,000 event sponsored by the Japanese electronic giant JVC.

Event promoter, IMG (International Management Group), has selected IBC Channel 13 and NBN Channel 4 to jointly telecast the event as it falls in line with their commitment to support badminton and give the sport a mainstream appeal. The two stations will broadcast a total of 20 hours of coverage throughout the week of the event.

"In terms of skills, I think the Filipino players are equal with their foreign counterparts but they lag behind in experience since they (foreigners) play every month and that gives them advantage," said Police Gen. and PBA executive vice president Edgardo Aglipay.

Spearheading the local challenge are Kennie and Kennevic Asuncion. The foreign entries include major stars defending JVC ABC champion, Taufik Hidayat, the No. 2 world-ranked Indon, and Malaysia’s hot men’s singles player, Lee Tsueng Seng.